Dennis Robbins

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Dennis Robbins
Birth nameDennis Anthony Robbins[1]
OriginHazelwood, North Carolina, U.S.
GenresCountry
Rock
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter
InstrumentsVocals
electric guitar
slide guitar
acoustic guitar
Years active1983–1994
LabelsNSD
MCA
Reprise
Giant
Associated acts
Billy Hill
Garth Brooks
Shenandoah

Dennis Anthony Robbins[2] is an American musician who first made himself known as a guitarist in the band 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 Highway 101, Shenandoah and Garth Brooks.

Biography[]

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 Rockets.

After retiring from Rockets, Robbins moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where he was signed to MCA in 1986, recording his debut album First of Me that year.[2] 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.[2] The three members of Billy Hill also co-wrote "The Church on Cumberland Road", a Number One single for Shenandoah in early 1989, and Highway 101's "(Do You Love Me) Just Say Yes."[1]

Solo career[]

Giant Records, a subsidiary label of Warner, opened a country music branch in 1990, and Robbins was the first act signed to this newly formed division.[2] 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).[2][3]

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 "Mona Lisa On Cruise Control" (#68).

Discography[]

Albums[]

The First of Me
Studio album by
Dennis Robbins
ReleasedMay 1986
GenreCountry
LabelMCA
ProducerEddie Kilroy, Dennis Robbins
Singles from The First of Me
  1. "Hard Lovin’ Man"
    Released: April 1986
  2. "The First of Me"
    Released: August 1986

The First of Me[]

"The First of Me" is the debut studio album by country artist Dennis Robbins. Released by MCA Records in May 1986.

Track listing[]

  1. "The First of Me" (Bob DiPiero, John Scott Sherrill, Robbins) - 3:09
  2. "Hard Lovin’ Man" (Bruce McTaggart, Warren Haynes, Robbins) - 2:53
  3. "Setting Me Up" (Mark Knopfler) - 3:18
  4. "You’re Not Drinking Enough" (Danny Kortchmar) - 4:19
  5. "Rollin’ Dice" (DiPiero, Sherrill, Robbins) - 3:26
  6. "Watermelon Time in Georgia" (Harlan Howard) - 4:44
  7. "The Mountain Man and Me" (DeWayne Mize, Haynes, Robbins) - 5:32
  8. "Baby It’s You" (Haynes, Robbins) - 4:38
  9. "Sweet, Sweet Lovin’" (Haynes, Robbins) - 2:38
  10. "Full Moon Rising" (Ron Reynolds, Steve Darnsby, McTaggart, Haynes, Robbins) - 3:20


Man With a Plan
Studio album by
Dennis Robbins
ReleasedJune 16, 1992
GenreCountry
LabelGiant Records
ProducerRichard Landis, James Stroud
Singles from Man With a Plan
  1. "Home Sweet Home"
    Released: April 1992
  2. "My Side Of Town"
    Released: August 1992

Man With a Plan[]

"Man With a Plan" is the second studio album by country artist Dennis Robbins. Released by Giant Records on June 16, 1992, this album features the Top 40 hit single "Home Sweet Home".

Track listing[]

  • All tracks written by Bob DiPiero, John Scott Sherrill and Dennis Robbins except those as indicated.
  1. "Home Sweet Home" - 2:26
  2. "Paris, Tennessee" - 2:24
  3. "Good News, Bad News" - 2:53
  4. "My Side Of Town" - 3:28
  5. "I Am Just a Rebel" - 3:57
  6. "Man With a Plan" (Curtis Wright, Haynes, Robbins) - 3:08
  7. "Hi O Silver" - 3:03
  8. "The Chapel Of The Friendly Bells" - 3:09
  9. "The Only Slide I Ever Played On" (Dean Dillon, Robbins) - 3:28
  10. "All The Way to San Antone" - 4:11


Born Ready
Studio album by
Dennis Robbins
ReleasedJuly 19, 1994
GenreCountry
LabelGiant Records
ProducerLandis, Stroud, Robbins, Lynn Peterzell & James Stroud on Track 9
Singles from Born Ready
  1. "Looking for a Thing Called Love"
    Released: July 1993
  2. "Mona Lisa On Cruise Control"
    Released: December 1993
  3. "Travelin’ Music"
    Released: May 1994

Born Ready[]

"Born Ready" is the third studio album by country artist Dennis Robbins. Released on July 19, 1994, this is the last album that Robbins recorded for Giant Records and his last album overall.

Track listing[]

  1. "Mona Lisa On Cruise Control" (Michael Dan Ehmig, Sherrill, Robbins) - 2:49
  2. "Travelin’ Music" (J.P. Pennington, Troy Seals, Robbins) - 2:57
  3. "Born Ready" (DiPiero, Sherrill, Robbins) - 3:10
  4. "Wild Rebel Love" (Pennington, Seals, Robbins) - 3:47
  5. "Where There’s a Wheel There’s a Way" (DiPiero, Sherrill, Robbins) - 3:20
  6. "Ride Ride Ride" (Ehmig, Seals, Robbins) - 4:26
  7. "Blowin’ Smoke" (Billy Spencer, David Ball (country singer), Tommy Polk) - 2:52
  8. "Before We Reach The Crossroads" (Ehmig, Seals, Robbins) - 4:19
  9. "Looking for a Thing Called Love" (from the motion picture The Thing Called Love) (Seals, Robbins) - 2:55
  10. "Walkin’ On The Edge" (Ehmig, Robbins) - 2:59

Singles[]

Year Single Peak chart
positions 		Album
US Country CAN Country
1983 "If I Could Get Over You" — — N/A
1986 "Hard Lovin' Man" — — The First of Me
"The First of Me" — —
"Long Gone Lonesome Blues" 63 — N/A
1987 "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House" 71 —
1992 "Home Sweet Home" 34 73 Man with a Plan
"My Side of Town" 59 —
1993 "Looking for a Thing Called Love"[4] — — Born Ready
1994 "Mona Lisa on Cruise Control" 68 —
"Travelin' Music"[5] — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Music videos[]

Year Video Director
1992 "Home Sweet Home" Roger Pistole
"My Side of Town"
1993 "Looking for a Thing Called Love"
"Mona Lisa on Cruise Control" Marc Ball

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b International who's who in popular music. p. 433.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Brennan, Sandra; Brian Mansfield. "Dennis Robbins biography". Allmusic. Retrieved December 29, 2007.
  3. ^ Joyce, Mike (July 3, 1992). "Dennis Robbins, Sliding By". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved December 29, 2007.
  4. ^ "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. July 31, 1993. p. 75.
  5. ^ "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. May 21, 1994. p. 51.

External links[]

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