Saying Farewell to Charlie Robison
There have been better songwriters in the history of Texas music, with all due respect. There are better singers in Texas and beyond too. But there is only one Charlie Robison. And Charlie Robison is like no one else. Many artists sing about how the women in Texas are more beautiful and the beer is always cold, and you know it’s bullshit. But Charlie Robison makes you believe it. Many sing about cities and towns in Texas, the state’s rugged landscapes, the rivers, and the historic dancehalls. But only Charlie Robison puts you right there. The oil rigs near Houston, or a little places in Pecos that Charlie sings about aren’t many miles away. They’re right there in your mind. They’re so close you can smell them.
Perhaps it’s the occasional appearance of accordion, or the fiddle and steel guitar combo that’s always more melodic than flashy, but the sound of Charlie Robison is the sound of Texas. It nestles somewhere near the border, where the culture of Texas is at its most lush, and where your recollections are always more vibrant. More than any other Texas artist, you remember the time and place you first heard your favorite Charlie Robison songs. They stick to you fast, and become part of the fabric of your memories.
It isn’t just the words or the music itself. It’s the commitment your mind makes when you listen to a Charlie Robison song. It’s the awakening of the imagination, and the suspension of disbelief, yet the true-as-dirt stories told with glossy-eyed despondency that make you deeply cognizant of every damn word being conveyed. The songs of Charlie Robison place you in the shoes of the characters. You feel their pain, and share in their sorrows. It’s eerie how the songs seem to be shaped to your life. The stories contained in iconic records like Life of the Party and Good Times paralleled your own in that very time and place, and when your mind travels back to those eras of your life, Charlie Robison is the one singing.
Reporting on the retirement of Carlie Robison feels like writing an obituary. It’s a career ended way too early, like an artist whose life expired tragically. It’s sorrow mixed with a good dose of disbelief. It can’t be true. No, not Charlie Robison. Check the medical records. Consult the best doctors in the business. I don’t want this career-ending prognosis to be the work of some nurse practitioner at a Rite-Aid walk-in clinic. I want John Hopkins chiming in. Ship Charlie to Europe if that’s what it takes. Set up a team of the best doctors. This is Charlie Robison we’re talking about. What’s 2018 good for if it can’t salvage Charlie Robison’s voice?
We didn’t even get a proper moment to say goodbye, to see that one final concert at Floore’s Country Store, or Gruene Hall. There will be no farewell tour, no funeral to pin our sorrows upon. Just “Hey, cherish those old records and those memories from past shows, because that’s all there’s gonna be.” Not to say there weren’t plenty of good times and Charlie didn’t put in his fair share of service time, because he did, and there were. And his music will remain at out fingertips and in our record collections for years to come. But there won’t be any more of it, and that’s a jagged pill to swallow.
Even when your favorite artists are well past their prime and you know it, and the magic they presented during the apex of their career has all but expired, as long as their still breathing and performing, you hold out hope they will re-connect with what made you love them in the first place. That possibility is always present, while seeing them live is never dull due to the personal history their music sowed in your life, seizing upon your nostalgia to the point of dampening the eye when you see them walk out on stage, not matter how distant they may be from their original abilities.
Perhaps Charlie got a bad prognosis, and was feeling a little fatalistic when he wrote his farewell. Obviously he still can write songs, and many of today’s artists would be proud to do the singing for him. Maybe this adversity will give Charlie Robison the excuse to refocus on songwriting specifically. Look what happened with John Prine. We didn’t know if he would even survive the Cancer that wrecked his voice in the late 90’s. Now at 71-years-old, he’s enjoying a huge resurgence in his career. But maybe that won’t happen for Charlie Robison. Maybe it’s a big relief for him that he won’t have to crawl into a bus anymore and go trekking across Texas and beyond to perform. Maybe he was looking for an excuse.
But as a fan, you hold out hope. It’s never over until it’s over. The fact that Charlie is still around almost makes it even more painful—tempting you with an ever-present possibility of a comeback, however improbable. But it’s over for now. And all you can do is pull out a record, turn it on, and remember the good times. And perhaps it sounds especially sweet, and is extra emotional knowing Charlie Robison has been forced into the sunset. Or maybe it just sounds especially sweet and extra emotional because it’s Charlie Robison, and that’s what he did for a quarter century.
BrandonWard
September 26, 2018 @ 8:14 am
Well said/written. The news was upsetting to read the other night and, from a selfish standpoint, it’s upsetting that being from the northeast I never got the chance to see him live.
It also struck me as weird that while other artists from the Texas scene (most recently Pat Green, Wade Bowen) had a little radio play and fan fare up this way, yet Chris never did. There’s definitely not much justice in the music world!!
Michael A
September 26, 2018 @ 9:39 am
CMT used to play videos 24/7. Charlie received a fair amount of airplay (as did Chris Knight). They had a very broad playlist in the late 90s and where I learned about artists like Charlie. It’s a shame that outlet is effectively closed.
Life of the Party is one of my desert island discs.
hoptowntiger94
September 26, 2018 @ 10:16 am
I first discovered Charlie (and his brother) on Napster. I remember having to order his CDs through National Record Mart special order.
Whiskeytown
September 26, 2018 @ 11:09 am
Ha, I remember seeing Right Man for The Job and Bar Exam by the Derailers. It use to be a big deal to have a video on CMT.
BrandonWard
September 29, 2018 @ 7:28 pm
I missed the good days of CMT. My area only got TNN (post the good old days) and GAC at the time. CMT wasnt an option until it became the MTV (post music videos) of the “country” lifestyle.
Aaron Michael
August 4, 2019 @ 5:39 pm
I’m 15, my parents took me to first see Charlie when I was 4. I’ve seen him 4 times in a little town called Linden, Texas. My aunts ex husband booked him to play, and got him to personally sign some stuff for me. The last time I saw him play was in 2015, he had the flu, but still sounded great. He was a great musician. Him and the band would do meet and greets afterward for free. I had a full conversation with his steel guitsr player about making it in the business. Charlie is forever part of my childhood, so this really hurts.
Whisketown
September 26, 2018 @ 8:32 am
Great article for a great artist. As you stated, CR was and is a life soundtrack to many that have listen to him for years. He’s been apart of my playlist for as long is I can remember. Not only did he bring his songs to life, he also captured what it means to be a Texan and not in some dumb clique way either. He was as much an attitude as he was an artist and stayed true to what he was throughout his career.
I know it’s not a CR song, but when you hear Bruce sing “My Brother and Me”, it’s like hearing a common family story from your dad after a couple of beers. You know that person in that song because you grew up with him, be it your brother, cousin, friend or enemy. That’s what CR was about, he lived those songs he wrote/sang about and did that through his friends, family and fans.
LISTENTOTIMCULPEPPER
August 4, 2019 @ 5:42 pm
Hes part of my childhood. My parents took me to his concert the first time when I was 4. I’m now 15.
Bob Haskins
September 26, 2018 @ 9:41 am
Your 6th paragraph in this article hits way too close to home. Very relatable. Well spoken.
Kevin Ross
September 26, 2018 @ 9:44 am
that’s the same question I had. what’s stopping him from writing and playing guitar? I’m hoping he was just feeling sorry for himself and will turn the ship around an realize he still has plenty to offer.
Janice Brooks
September 26, 2018 @ 10:08 am
I found and loaded the Austin Country Nights CD when I got the news Monday evening. I also think I bought Life of the Party during a Dale Watson in store at Waterloo records in 2008. New Years Day was in my rotation at the begining of 2009.
I also loved the videos on CMT.
drivingtheview
September 26, 2018 @ 10:29 am
I missed the original announcement from a couple days ago. This news is a complete nauseating gut punch. I love Charlie Robison. He has forever been my music IQ test. If you don’t who Charlie Robison is, we won’t be drinking a beer together. “So I’m leaving for the last time honey, I’m never more to roam. Gonna pack my bags a little heavy this time gonna head my ass back home.”
Jukebox
September 26, 2018 @ 11:47 am
This guy is a legend amongst me & my friends. He holds a spot in my jukebox & gets played a lot.
01- red letter day
02- she leaves her heart at home
03- desperate times
04- sunset boulevard
05- my hometown
06- you’re not the best
07- loving county
08- indianola
09- molly’s Blues
10- the preacher
11- Walter
12- New Year’s Day
13- el Cerrito place
14- big city blues
15- flatland boogie
16- nothin’ better to do
17- she’s so fine
18- Nuevo Laredo
Sure wish he’d keep those great songs coming
glendel
September 26, 2018 @ 12:06 pm
2001 [two day] Chicago Country Music Festival: Lee Ann Womack, Asleep at the Wheel, Charlie Robison, the late Don Walser, the late Hackberry Ramblers, the late Waylon Jennings. 🙁
Shastacatfish
September 26, 2018 @ 2:12 pm
Sunset Boulevard is an all time great. Anyone who can fit Charlie Sheen and Kato Kaelin into a hard country song is a GOOD songwriter.
Ben Parks
September 26, 2018 @ 3:03 pm
I live in Ohio and havent checked much of his music out but i think i remember our mainstream country station playing a song of his around 2003 or so? Bar light or somthing like that. Anyway sad to see someone forced to retire at that young of an age due to health
North Woods Country
September 26, 2018 @ 8:18 pm
“Photograph” takes me to my grandpa’s dining room table. I’m playing Rook or Hand and Foot or Pinochle with family. Or Cribbage with him. It’s the dead of winter, 30 below outside. We’re all there together.
TXMusicJim
September 27, 2018 @ 7:51 am
A great storyteller and charismatic live performer who will be missed I have seen Charlie many times through the years the last time when his live at Billy Bobs Texas project was recorded it was a amazing performance the first time sometime in the late nineties at the Texas Music Revolution annual show still put on by radio station KHYI in DFW. Once you saw Charlie perform you couldn’t wait to go see him again. God bless you Charlie thanks for the music!!!
Mark
September 28, 2018 @ 8:32 am
He’s an outstanding singer, songwriter, storyteller and live performer.
I’m sorry to hear this.
Greg Mumm
September 28, 2018 @ 9:50 am
Thank you for this. What a loss! I think his two latest albums are fantastic, and while they came few and far between, I was very much looking forward to more.
Sara Ross
January 6, 2019 @ 7:30 am
He can’t sing the way he would like to, but he’s alive, breathing, his hands work to write songs and his brain is full of ideas for those songs. I wish him nothing but the best.
Iowa
September 12, 2023 @ 9:00 am
Wow, and look at how oddly prophetic your article is. If you didn’t know who Charlie was, or are not familiar with his music, you just don’t understand how tragic his retirement was, and his death is.