- Dennis Robbins
-
Dennis Robbins Origin Hazelwood, North Carolina, United States Genres Country
RockOccupations Singer-songwriter Instruments Vocals
Electric guitar
Slide guitarYears active 1983–1994 Labels NSD
MCA
Reprise
GiantAssociated acts Billy Hill
Garth Brooks
ShenandoahDennis Robbins (born in Hazelwood, North Carolina[1]) is an American musician who first made himself known as a guitarist in the band The Rockets. After his departure from The Rockets, he began a career in country music, recording two major-label albums and several singles of his own, in addition to writing hit singles for Shenandoah and Garth Brooks.
Contents
Biography
Dennis Robbins was born in Hazelwood, North Carolina. He learned to play guitar while in his teens, taking his influences from both rock & roll and bluegrass. After a brief stint in the United States Marine Corps, he moved to Detroit, Michigan, where he found work in several bands before joining a group known as The Rockets.
After retiring from The Rockets, Robbins moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where he was signed to MCA in 1986, recording his debut album First of Me that year.[1] Later the same year, he founded the supergroup Billy Hill with songwriters Bob DiPiero and John Scott Sherrill. This group recorded one album on Reprise Records and charted three singles before disbanding in 1990.[1] The three members of Billy Hill also co-wrote "The Church on Cumberland Road", a Number One single for Shenandoah in early 1989, as well as Highway 101's "(Do You Love Me) Just Say Yes."
Solo career
Giant Records, a subsidiary label of Warner, opened a country music branch in 1990 as well, and Robbins was the first act signed to this newly-formed division.[1] Also that year, he contributed to another Number One single, when Garth Brooks topped the country music charts with "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House" (which Robbins himself had charted with three years previous).[1][2]
Robbins' second album overall, Man with a Plan, was issued in 1992. Included on it was the single "Home Sweet Home", his only solo Top 40 hit on the country charts. Also found on this album was his own rendition of "I Am Just a Rebel", as well as the track "Paris, Tennessee", which was later cut by both Kenny Chesney and Tracy Lawrence. A second album for Giant, Born Ready, was issued in 1994, producing one more chart single. He has not recorded any albums since.
Discography
Albums
Title Album details The First of Me - Release date: 1986
- Label: MCA Records
Man with a Plan - Release date: June 16, 1992
- Label: Giant Records
Born Ready - Release date: July 19, 1994
- Label: Giant Records
Singles
Year Single Peak chart
positionsAlbum US Country CAN Country 1983 "If I Could Get Over You" — — Single only 1986 "Hard Lovin' Man" — — "The First of Me" — — The First of Me "Long Gone Lonesome Blues" 63 — Single only 1987 "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House" 71 — 1989 "I Can't Help Myself" — — 1990 "Nickel to My Name" — — "No Chance to Dance" — — "Blue Angel" — — 1992 "Home Sweet Home" 34 73 Man with a Plan "My Side of Town" 59 — 1993 "Mona Lisa on Cruise Control" 68 — Born Ready 1994 "Walking on the Edge" — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart Music videos
Year Video 1992 "Home Sweet Home" "My Side of Town" 1993 "Looking for a Thing Called Love" "Mona Lisa on Cruise Control" References
- ^ a b c d e Brennan, Sandra; Brian Mansfield. "Dennis Robbins biography". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p32245. Retrieved 2007-12-29.
- ^ Joyce, Mike (1992-07-03). "Dennis Robbins, Sliding By". The Washington Post. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1013703.html. Retrieved 2007-12-29.
External links
Categories:- American country guitarists
- American country singers
- American country singer-songwriters
- Living people
- Musicians from North Carolina
- Slide guitarists
- Giant Records (Warner) artists
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