Birth Name: Martin David Robinson
Place of Birth: Glendale, Arizona, United States
Date of Birth: September 26, 1925
Place of Death: Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Date of Death: December 8, 1982
Ethnicity:
*50% German, with possibly some Polish
*31.25% Scottish
*12.5% likely Irish
*6.25% English
Family Background: Marty Robbins was an American singer, songwriter, musician, actor, and racing driver. He was the son of Emma (Heckle) and John “Jack” Joseph MacKinzie Robinson.
Marty’s father was of three quarters German (with possibly some Polish) and one quarter Scottish descent. Marty’s mother was of approximately three eighths Scottish, one quarter German, one eighth English, and likely one quarter Irish ancestry.
Various claims have been maid about Marty’s ancestry. In Barbara J. Pruett’s book Marty Robbins: Fast Cars and Country Music, she writes:
His grandmother had coal black hair. She had quite a bit of Paiute Indian in her. Marty is part Indian; she was almost full-blooded. His mother was mostly Indian, with a little Mexican. His father was Polish.
The claim that Marty’s mother had Paiute Native American ancestry does not appear to be accurate. His maternal grandmother had German and Scottish ancestry, and no documented Native American ancestor. If she had Native American ancestry, she was definitely not “almost full-blooded”. Some sources state that Marty’s father or maternal grandfather had Native American ancestry, but this also appears to be false. Marty’s parents, and grandparents, are all listed as “White” on the censuses. As for him being part Mexican, it is also not clear if there is any evidence for this.
About his father being of Polish descent, the claim often varies among sources. Some state that his father was a Polish immigrant, others say that his father’s parents were Polish immigrants. In Diane Diekman’s book Twentieth Century Drifter: The Life of Marty Robbins, she claims that Marty’s father was Joe Jack Maczinski, who was born of Polish immigrants in 1890, and changed his name to Robinson after moving to Arizona. It is not clear if Marty’s father had Polish ancestry. All genealogies of Marty’s lists Marty’s paternal grandparents as George MacKenzie and Ernestine Klann. George’s father was Scottish and his mother was born in Vermont to a French-born father and a German mother. Ernestine was German, though her mother’s surname is sometimes listed as Malenefski (other times Polie), which would indicate Polish ancestry. If these genealogies are correct, Marty’s parents were not Polish immigrant and, at best, he was of one eighth or less Polish descent. Though, there was a John Maczinski who was born around 1890 in Michigan and resided in Arizona. His parents were Josephine (Kusniak) and Charles Maczinski, both listed as being born in Germany (likely of Polish descent). There is yet no link between this John Maczinski and Marty’s father, apart from various claims about his birth surname. On the other side, Marty’s father (John Joseph MacKenzie) does not appear among George and Ernestine MacKenzie’s children on the 1900 or 1910 censuses. It is not completely clear who Marty’s paternal grandparents were.
What should also be noted is the similarity between the surnames “MacKenzie” and “Maczinski”. Perhaps one of the claims is a misconception derived from the similarities. Some genealogies also lists Marty’s paternal grandfather’s name as “George R. Majinski MacKenzie”, with “Majinski” possibly being a middle name.
Marty’s paternal grandparents were George Raymond Majinski MacKenzie (the son of John Ferdinand MacKenzie and Hanna/Hannah Marks) and Ernestine/Ernestina Claraline Wilmine Klann (the daughter of Ferdinandt or John Klann and Henrietta/Henrieta/Harriet Polie or Malenefski). John MacKenzie was Scottish. Hanna/Hannah was born in Vermont to a father from France, likely of German descent, and a German mother. Ferdinandt/John and Henrietta were German.
Marty’s maternal grandparents were Robert “Texas” Matthew/Mathew Heckle (the son of Robert L. Heckle and Elizabeth K. Millican) and Anna Carpenter Helm (the daughter of Joseph Helm and Emma Anderson Smith). Robert’s father was Scottish, from Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland, and his mother had English ancestry. Elizabeth’s surname, “Millican”, indicates Irish ancestry. Joseph was born in Fremont, Ohio, to a German mother and a father with German ancestry. Emma was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, to Scottish parents.
Source: Genealogies of Marty Robbins – http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=PED&db=lindajopayne&id=I39808
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=PED&db=46403&id=I98064
http://kalloch.org/gedpage/ped11438.htm
Genealogies of Marty Robbins (focusing on his mother’s side) – https://www.geni.com/people/Marty-Robbins/6000000014253812899
https://familysearch.org/tree/#view=ancestor§ion=details&person=LDRW-26N
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=89521721
Genealogy of Marty’s aunt (father’s sister), Ursula MacKenzie – http://www.wikitree.com/genealogy/MacKenzie-Family-Tree-896
Genealogy of Marty’s great-great-grandmother, Lydia Lockwood – https://familysearch.org/tree/#view=ancestor§ion=details&person=K4B3-P49
Marty Robbins on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH1M-YQN
Marty Robbins on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VYWY-J9V