Hargus “Pig” Robbins

Possibly the greatest session pianist/keyboardist ever to grace a Nashville documenting studio, Hargus “Pig” Robbins maintained a wonderfully prolific career through the late ’50s in into the fresh millennium. Robbins was created in Spring Town, TN, in 1938; a major accident along with his father’s blade resulted in the increased loss of an vision, and he proceeded to go completely blind prior to the age group of four. He began taking traditional piano lessons at age group seven, so that as he advanced, he discovered to play nation music by hearing, especially that of his idol, Tex Ritter. Robbins performed the Nashville golf club picture after graduating and got his 1st session gig assisting a pal record his demonstration. He subsequently joined up with the music artists’ union and got his 1st big-time publicity on George Jones’ 1959 strike “White Lightning.” Over another few years, Robbins performed behind a who’s who of nation music, documenting with Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Connie Smith, Tanya Tucker, Crystal Gayle, Ernest Tubb, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Bobby Bare, the Statler Brothers, Gary Stewart, and Kenny Rogers. Additionally, his appearance on Bob Dylan’s 1966 traditional Blonde on Blonde produced demand for his function among folk (Joan Baez, Peter, Paul & Mary) and pop/rock and roll performers (John Denver, Doug Sahm, the Everly Brothers, Ray Charles, Tom Jones, et al.). Robbins documented his first single album, A Little bit of Nation Piano, in 1963 and released three more single records around the Graph label through the past due ’60s. Robbins later on returned to single documenting for Elektra, issuing a trio of albums — Nation Instrumentalist of the entire year, A Pig inside a Poke, and Unbreakable Hearts — over 1977-1979. On the ’80s and ’90s, Robbins could maintain his standing up as Nashville’s best program keyboardist with a fresh generation of modern country stars, using Randy Travis, Alan Jackson, Travis Tritt, Tag Chesnutt, Vince Gill, and Reba McEntire, amongst others; he also supported alt-rock pranksters Ween on the 12 Golden Nation Greats recording of 1996.