Dub Robinson & The Drugstore Cowboys

Leave a reply

There are some musicians who chase the spotlight, and then there are the ones who just keep playing because that’s what they were put on this earth to do. Dub Robinson falls squarely into that second camp. He’s been leading the Drugstore Cowboys out of San Antonio for more than 45 years, and he’s still writing, still recording, and still putting out music that sounds like Texas feels.

Dub isn’t a “local act.” He’s a lifer. A roots man. One of those rare songwriters who never needed Nashville to tell him who he was.

A Band Born in the Dance Halls
Dub moved to San Antonio in 1970, already a seasoned player even though he was barely old enough to drive. He’d been gigging on the Texas coast since he was twelve years old, and when he hit San Antonio, he found himself right at home in the honky‑tonks and dance halls. That’s where he met the musicians who would become the first Drugstore Cowboys.

The band officially came together in 1972, during Dub’s senior year at McCollum High School. The original lineup was:

  • Dub Robinson
  • Tommy McKay (who also named the band)
  • Butch Lynam

They didn’t have a fiddle or steel guitar—normally a death sentence for a country band back then—but they had heart, grit, and Dub’s songs. And that turned out to be enough.

A Songwriter First, Last, and Always
A lot of bands make their living playing covers. Nothing wrong with that. But Dub Robinson is a songwriter to the bone. He’s written close to 300 songs, and the Drugstore Cowboys’ recordings are built around his originals.

He’s not just a writer—he’s a producer, an engineer, and the owner of Texart Studios, where he’s recorded countless albums over the years. Some of those records have found their way onto FM and internet radio around the world. That’s the thing about real music: it travels farther than the musician ever expects.

Dub’s catalog includes albums like:

  • Texas Collection
  • San Antonio My Hometown (remastered 2024)
  • DC4Decades
  • 45 and Still Alive
  • Ghost Town
  • One More Texas Sunset
  • Sweethome Texas

These aren’t studio‑polished Nashville products. They’re Texas songs—dusty, honest, and built to last.

The Drugstore Cowboys Today
The current lineup is a tight, road‑tested crew:

  • Dub Robinson – guitars, vocals, songwriter
  • W.J. Robinson – drums
  • Jan Zerda – vocals, guitar
  • Tiny Stich – bass, vocals, songwriter
  • Steve Mallet – guitar, vocals, songwriter
  • David Kemp – vocals, guitar, harmonica, songwriter

Their sound is a wide‑open Texas blend:

  • Americana
  • Texacana
  • Classic country
  • Blues‑based rock & roll
  • R&B
  • Classic and ’90s rock
  • Top‑40 country

It’s the kind of band that can play a dance hall on Saturday night and a festival stage on Sunday afternoon without changing a thing. They’re not trying to be anything but themselves—and that’s why it works.

A Quiet Legend of Texas Music
Dub has backed some heavy hitters over the years—Gary Stewart, Johnny Rodrigues, Frenchie Burke, Stoney Edwards, and more—usually on one‑night gigs where the band had to be sharp enough to follow a star without rehearsal. That’s a skill you only learn in the Texas roadhouses.

But the real story isn’t who Dub played behind.
It’s the fact that he never stopped playing at all.

Fifty years is a long time for any band to stay alive. Most don’t make it five. The Drugstore Cowboys are still here because Dub Robinson is still writing, still singing, still telling the truth the only way he knows how—through songs.

Why Curbside Jimmy Tips His Hat to Dub
Curbside Jimmy has always been about the musicians who keep the roots alive—the ones who don’t get the big magazine spreads or the award‑show lights. Dub Robinson is exactly that kind of musician.

He’s not chasing fame.
He’s not reinventing himself every six months.
He’s not trying to fit into anybody’s box.

He’s writing songs, playing shows, and keeping Texas music honest.

That’s worth celebrating.

Views: 6

Leave a Reply