Top Ten Ruby Songs: Ruby Ann (#4)

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Down to four gems named “Ruby” for this countdown of songs inspired by my trip to Ruby Falls. We have one rock, one country, one Americana…and this one. Don’t know where this fits, except it the “good” category. #4: Ruby Ann - Marty Robbins If you listen to this, with the guitar solo, you think, “That’s not all that ‘country’ sounding.” And you’re right. Everyone agreed back then, too: this was a #1 country song and top 20 pop song. It was on the charts with Elvis, the Four Seasons, and David Rose’s “The Stripper.” So, you could say it did hold its own in rock and roll. And that’s not really unusual for Marty Robbins. He was primarily “country;” however, you can find him in Western (“El Paso”), rockabilly (“A White Sport Coat and a Pink Carnation”), and that legendary guitar distortion accident in “Don’t Worry” (where Grady Martin’s amp blew a fuse, resulting in a fuzzy sound…which they didn’t realize until playback). He could do it all, so you’ll hear elements of a lot of different styles in his music. That includes this song about a “poor, poor man” who loses in money but wins in love. True love and music are funny things. Ruby Ann Written by Lee Emerson, Rashima Bellamy, and Roberta Bellamy Recorded by Marty Robbins Released as a single, 1962 You can’t romance your fame: