Marty Robbins Sings "A White Sport Coat And A Pink Carnation"

Marty Robbins (1925 - 1982) was one of the greatest crossover entertainers in country music. His music is eclectic in its universal appeal, touching as it does on various aspects of world music although he rarely went beyond the confines of country music. Yet he was a headliner in Las Vegas, becoming an immensely popular performer. His performances at the Grand Ole Opry are legendary for his being nearly the last person on stage as the audiences would not let him go. These appearances would go on into the wee hours of the morning!

One of Marty Robbins' signature tunes came early in his career with "A White Sport Coat And A Pink Carnation" (my theme song although, truth be known, I never could have gone to my high school prom) in 1957. This was during the period when Mitch Miller was the A&R man for Columbia's popular music department. Miller had certain ideas that could vary from being right on the money (as with this recording) but awfully inept in others. Instead of recording country artists in Nashville, they were brought into Columbia's studios which were set up in an abadnoned church in NYC. The arranger for this recording was Ray Coniff who would later start selling millions of his own records.

"A White Sport Coat And A Pink Carnation" became the anthem for all teenage boys who were left holding the bag after being dumped at the last minute before the prom!