Dennis Anthony Robbins^[2] (born August 23, 1949) is an American musician who first made himself known as a guitarist in the bandRockets. 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 forHighway 101,Shenandoah andGarth Brooks.

Robbins was born inHazelwood, North Carolina on August 23, 1949. He learned to play guitar while in his teens, taking his influences from bothrock & roll andbluegrass. After a brief stint in theUnited States Marine Corps, he moved to Detroit, Michigan, where he found work in several bands before joining a group known asRockets.

After retiring from Rockets, Robbins moved toNashville, Tennessee, where he was signed toMCA in 1986, recording his debut albumThe First of Me that year.^[2] Later the same year, he founded the supergroupBilly Hill with songwritersBob DiPiero andJohn Scott Sherrill. This group recorded one album onReprise Records and charted three singles before disbanding in 1990.^[2] The three members of Billy Hill also co-wrote "The Church on Cumberland Road", a Number One single forShenandoah in early 1989, andHighway 101's "(Do You Love Me) Just Say Yes."^[1]

After retiring from Rockets, Robbins moved toNashville, Tennessee, where he was signed toMCA in 1986, recording his debut albumThe First of Me that year.^[2] Later, as success was starting to lack on him, he founded the supergroupBilly Hill with songwritersBob DiPiero andJohn Scott Sherrill. This group recorded one album onReprise Records and charted three singles before disbanding in 1990.^[2] The three members of Billy Hill also co-wrote "The Church on Cumberland Road", a Number One single forShenandoah in early 1989, andHighway 101's "(Do You Love Me) Just Say Yes."^[1]

Giant Records, a subsidiary label of Warner, opened a country music branch in 1990, and Robbins was the first act signed to this newly formed division.^[2] Also that year, he contributed to another Number One single, whenGarth Brooks topped the country music charts with "Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House" (which Robbins himself had charted with three years previous).^[2][3]

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 bothConfederate Railroad andJoy Lynn White), as well as the track "Paris, Tennessee", which was later cut by bothKenny Chesney andTracy Lawrence. In 1993, he was named one of the New Faces of Country Music by the Country Radio Seminar.^[4]

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.

A few other of Robbins' penned material were later cut by other artists, such as: "Finally Friday" was recorded byEarl Thomas Conley on his 1988 albumThe Heart of It All and also byGeorge Jones on his 1992 albumWalls Can Fall.

"No Chance To Dance" was first cut byJohnny Rodriguez in 1988 for his albumGracias 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 albumThe 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 byMarty Stuart on his 2003 albumCountry 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 theB-side to his MCA singleTwo of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House, which would later become a No. 1 hit forGarth Brooks, Cumberland Road would later become a No. 1 hit for the bandShenandoah in 1989.

The following is a list of Dennis Robbins compositions that were chart hits.

• Dennis Robbins onMyspace

• American country guitarists
• American male guitarists
• American country singer-songwriters
• Living people
• Singer-songwriters from North Carolina
• American slide guitarists
• Giant Records (Warner) artists
• Guitarists from North Carolina
• The Rockets (band) members
• Country musicians from North Carolina
• American male singer-songwriters
• 1949 births

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