Dennis Robbins

Dennis Anthony Robbins (born August 23, 1949) 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 three 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 on August 23, 1949. 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 The First of Me that year.

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" (which was later cut by both Confederate Railroad and Joy Lynn White), as well as the track "Paris, Tennessee", which was later cut by both Kenny Chesney and Tracy Lawrence. In 1993, he was named one of the New Faces of Country Music by the Country Radio Seminar.

A second album for Giant, Born Ready, was issued in 1994, producing one more chart single "Mona Lisa On Cruise Control" (#68). He has not recorded any more albums ever since.

Songwriting A few other of Robbins' penned material were later cut by other artists, such as: "Finally Friday" was recorded by Earl Thomas Conley on his 1988 album The Heart of It All and also by George Jones on his 1992 album Walls Can Fall.

"No Chance To Dance" was first cut by Johnny Rodriguez in 1988 for his album Gracias and his version was released as a single in early 1989, but it peaked at No. 72 on the Billboard country singles chart. Then, Robbins later cut the song along with the co-writers of the song (Bob DiPiero and John Scott Sherrill) when they formed Billy Hill and it was released as a single in 1990, but their version didn't reach the charts. And then Highway 101 recorded the song in 1993 for their album The New Frontier, but their version wasn't released as a single.

"Too Much Month at the End of the Money" was originally cut by Robbins when he formed the band Billy Hill, it peaked at No. 25 on Billboard in 1989 and it was later cut by Marty Stuart on his 2003 album Country Music, and he too would release it as a single where it would at No. 54.

The Church on Cumberland Road was first recorded by Robbins in 1987, which served as the B-side to his MCA single Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House, which would later become a No. 1 hit for Garth Brooks, Cumberland Road would later become a No. 1 hit for the band Shenandoah in 1989.

Discography

Albums Title Album details The First of Me Release date: May 5, 1986 Label: MCA Records Man with a Plan Release date: June 16, 1992 Label: Giant Records Born Ready Release date: July 19, 1994 Label: Giant Records

Singles

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

Chart Singles written by Dennis Robbins

The following is a list of Dennis Robbins compositions that were chart hits. Year Single Title Recording Artist Chart Positions Billboard Country Billboard Hot 100 RPM Country 1980 Desire co-written with John Badanjek The Rockets 70 1988 (Do You Love Me) Just Say Yes co-written with Bob DiPiero and John Scott Sherrill Highway 101 1 1 1989 The Church on Cumberland Road co-written with Bob DiPiero and John Scott Sherrill Shenandoah 1 1 No Chance to Dance co-written with Bob DiPiero and John Scott Sherrill Johnny Rodriguez 72 Too Much Month at the End of the Money co-written with Bob DiPiero and John Scott Sherrill Billy Hill 25 1990 Nickel to My Name co-written with Bob DiPiero and John Scott Sherrill Billy Hill 76 1991 Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House co-written with Warren Haynes and Bobby Boyd Garth Brooks 1 1 1998 When You Get to Be You co-written with Curtis Wright and Michael Dan Ehmig Lisa Brokop 64 57 2003 Too Much Month (At the End of the Money) co-written with Bob DiPiero and John Scott Sherrill Marty Stuart and the Fabulous Superlatives 54