By Robert Maxfield
Photos by Robert Maxfield
I recently sat down for a morning breakfast with Rockin Robert Tomberlin and his wife, Tammie, at our favorite breakfast hangout near Ft. Worth. I had met Robert a few years back at the Dallas International Guitar Festival and our paths had crossed several times. It seems we both liked the same restaurant in the Mid-Cities and ate there, not ever knowing one another. Honestly, I had no idea what to expect. We could have just talked about the weather. What actually did transpire was an amazing conversation about 62 years of an incredible life in music and tons of great memories.
I first asked Robert about his early days and starting out in Amarillo. What surprised me was a very normal and traditional story. Robert told me that Amarillo has both kinds of music, Country & Western and Boogie/Rock & Roll, his own brand of which was a little different from the area norm at the time. “I might be the only one who appreciates my stuff,” he laughs. “What I play comes from my soul, ya know.”
He started out in music, like many young kids, playing cornet in the school band. He soon traded it for his first guitar, and that was the beginning of a long career. “I was 13 years old and in a working band,” he states proudly. Playing in local country bands eventually left him still wanting more. So, after paying a visit to the DFW Metroplex, he set his sights on Dallas.
Arriving in Dallas in March of 1998, Robert Tomberlin was a somewhat of a latecomer to the Dallas music scene, but he made an impact very quickly. “Coming to Dallas was key for me,” he explains.
I asked about his connection to Buddy Magazine and photographer/publisher Ron McKeown. In his early Dallas days, he and Ron would go from location to location dropping off hard copies of the magazine into news stands. From there, Robert developed a deep friendship and a great level of respect for Ron.
Robert chooses not to have any particular stage image, and is very much a “what you see is what you get” kind of guy. He looks no different on stage than he does sitting across the table from you.
Robert and Tammie met at Stroker’s, a Dallas biker bar. She told me about buying his stage shirts for Christmas performances, to which I exclaimed (in mock surprise), “stage shirts”? We spoke about their deep faith in God and how they are devoted to church. “Put God first and don’t worry. That’s what we do.”
As our food was getting cold, Robert shared stories of great friendships and meeting people from all over the music industry. Many of the artists Robert has played with, or opened for, are now considered legends. Those include Buddy Whittington, Leo Hull, Johnny Nitzinger, Sugarloaf, Grass Roots, Derek St. Holmes, and the list goes on. Robert genuinely feels that the most important part of his journey is the people and relationships he has developed over the past 62 years.
What continues to drive Rockin Robert Tomberlin is his love of music, friendships, and the experiences which come along with those. His two band mates are David Montgomery, bass player, and Mark Austin on drums. Robert’s passion for performing is palpable and keeps him forever young at heart. I look forward to his sets at the yearly Dallas International Guitar Festival, and hearing his shoutout to Jimmy Wallace, whom he’s pretty sure he first met while delivering Buddy Magazines.
Tomberlin has no plans to stop. “I am 75 years young and still Rockin’!!” For a boy from Amarillo, Texas, who gave up cornet for Boogie Woogie guitar, I would say he’s done alright.
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