Saturday, March 27, 2010

This morning we left campsite around 9:30 for a day trip to Willcox. Driving east on I10 we drove thru the Texas Canyon. We didn't stop to get good shots of the rock formations, but it was very impressive from the highway.

We arrived at the Rex Allen Museum in Willcox around 10:15 am. Rex Allen was born in Willcox, and for those of you too young to remember, he was a famous singing cowboy of records, movies, television and a Disney film narrator. Rex had a 35 year careeer recording for Decca Records. The Museum has a complete collection of Rex's records. His hit songs were "Crying in the Chapel", Streets of Laredo", "Don't Go Near the Indians", "Money, Marbles and Chalk" and "Tiny Bubbles". I don't remember Don't Go Near the Indians and Money, Marbles and Chalk.

Rex starred in 19 movies for Republic Pictures between 1950 and 1954. His horse, KoKo received equal billing with Rex in all movie publicity. There certainly was lots of things to see and read. They were even running an old Rex Allen movie. I could have sat and enjoyed the entire movie if I'd had the chance.

He is also well known for the TV and radio commercials he did for Purina Dog Food, Ford trucks, Tony Lama boots - Tony Lama made all his boots - and others. There were several of his outfits including boots on display. My, were some of them glittered up.

Rex was born in Willcox in 1920 and passed away on December 17, 1999.

Next door was The Friends of Marty Robbins Museum. Rex Allen, Jr. invited the Friends of Marty Robbins to bring the Museum to Willcox, and helped them find a permanent home.

Marty Robbins was born September 26, 1925, five minutes before his sister Mamie, in Glendale, Arizona. He was the son of John G. and Emma Heckle Robinson. He was the seventh of nine children born to Emma and was one of two sets of twins. His grandmother (I think that was it) was a Mormon. His mother married a non-member when she was fourteen. At 17 Marty went into the US Navy. It was while he was in the Navy that he taught himself to play the guitar. He entertained the troops while he was on break from the action. He could always sing and most of the time he made up songs as he went.

His grandfather, Bob Heckle was a story teller, Texas Ranger and a Medicine man. He had a great influence on Marty at an early age, telling him about the old West as it was in Texas Bob's days. The stories his grandfather told him came out in the Western Ballads that made him the first Country Entertainer to receive a Grammy. He received two, one for El Paso, and one for My Woman My Woman My Wife. He went on the Grand Ole Opry in 1951.

He and his wife, Marizona Baldwin were married September 28, 1948 in Parker, Arizona. They had two children, Ronald Carson born July 16, 1949 and Janet in January 1959.

Marty was the last to play at the Ryman Opry House, the first to play at the new Opry House, the first to receive a Golden Guitar Award, the first Man of the Decade Award. He received the Country Music Hall of Fame Award October 1982, less than two months before he passed away.

All the time we were in the Museum we were hearing Marty sing. What a pleasure that was. The Museum is hoping to have his movies playing as well in the very near future.