## The Master of the Story Song
Marty Robbins was one of the greatest and most versatile vocalists in the history of recorded music. He practically invented the ‘Gunfighter Ballad’ genre with his multi-platinum, epic masterpiece ‘El Paso.’ His smooth, soaring voice could seamlessly transition from country to Hawaiian music to pop. But behind his calm, romantic stage persona, Robbins harbored an absolute, reckless addiction to adrenaline.
## The Dangers of NASCAR
When he wasn’t writing hit songs, Robbins was a highly competitive, fearless race car driver. He didn’t just race in local dirt track events; he competed at the highest echelons of professional motorsports, running several times in the brutal, highly dangerous NASCAR Winston Cup Series. He famously drove his brightly colored Dodge Magnum at terrifying speeds against legends like Richard Petty.
## A Life Unbraked
Robbins suffered several horrific, near-death crashes on the track, leading the Nashville establishment to constantly beg him to quit racing before it killed him. Robbins famously refused, choosing to live a life fueled equally by the roar of an engine and the applause of a crowd. Tragically, it was his heart—not a wall—that finally stopped him, passing away from cardiovascular disease in 1982.