But wait! Willcox is well worth a detour if you’re a fan of
Western music. Tucked away on Railroad Avenue are museums devoted to two of the
finest singing cowboys who ever strummed a guitar while riding the range: Rex
Allen and Marty Robbins.
Rex Allen and Koko |
Rex Allen is the hometown boy who made it to the big time,
singing and riding his way across the West. He is probably the only cowboy who
insisted his horse, Koko, receive star billing after him in the movie credits.
In his later years, he narrated a host of Disney films, including Run Appaloosa
Run because, one of my favorites because it was filmed in Omak, Washington,
where I lived for four years.
The museum is filled with his costumes, movie posters and
other memorabilia related to his entertainment career. There’s even a framed
check he wrote to Field and Stream for a subscription in 1997, two years before
he died. Across the street, at Railroad Park, is a statue of Rex Allen
strumming on his guitar. The remains of his beloved Koko are buried just a few
feet away.
The Willcox Cowboy Hall of Fame is located inside the Rex
Allen Museum. It’s a room filled with dozens of pictures of local cowboys.
Some of the 71 albums Marty Robbins made |
Two doors down from the Rex Allen Museum is the Friends of Marty
Robbins Museum. Marty Robbins is another Arizona boy (he was born in Glendale,
however) who made a name for himself in show business. It’s about half the size of the Allen
museum, but just as impressive when you consider most of its contents came from
the private collection of one woman, Juanita Buckley, and her son Shawn Ring.
Robbins recorded 71 albums during his lengthy career, but is
his signature song is El Paso. Posters from his movies cover the walls. One of his early
hits had the lyrics, “a white sport coat and a pink carnation.” Sure enough
there’s a white sport coat in the collection.
A highlight of this museum is a documentary on Marty Robbins’
career. It’s narrated by John Schneider and features some of the biggest names
in country western music reminiscing about this talented singer.
Both museums are open on a limited schedule, but it’s worth
rearranging your travel plans to visit them.
No comments:
Post a Comment