Source: Rick Diamond / Getty
Texas singer-songwriter Charlie Robison has died. Robison died in San Antonio hospital after cardiac arrest and complications, per family rep. Robison started his music career in the late 80s, playing in Austin bands before forming “Millionaire Playboys.”
He released his first solo album, “Bandera,” in 1996, named after his family’s ranch in Texas Hill Country. Robison signed with Sony’s Lucky Dog imprint in 1998, a label known for rawer country music.
His 2001 album “Step Right Up” had his only Top 40 country song, “I Want You Bad.” He retired due to a medical procedure that left him unable to sing. In 2018, Robison announced he couldn’t sing anymore after throat surgery. “I’m retiring from the stage and studio,” he wrote on Facebook.
Robison was a judge on “Nashville Star” for a year, a reality TV show where contestants competed for a country music contract. Robison is survived by his wife, Kristen Robison, and four children/stepchildren. He had three children with his first wife, Emily Strayer, a founding member of The Chicks. They divorced in 2008.