Charlie Robison, Texas country icon, dies at 59

Charlie Robison, the Texas singer-songwriter known for his rootsy anthems and his hit song I Want You Bad, died on Sunday at the age of 59.

The I Want You Bad singer died in San Antonio hospital after suffering severe cardiac arrest and other fatal complications according to family representatives.

Robison was born in Houston, Texas, in 1964. He began his music career in the late 1980s, playing in local Austin bands like Two Hoots and a Holler. In 1996, he released his debut album, Bandera, which was a critical and commercial success.

Robison went on to release six more albums, including Step Right Up (2001), which featured the hit song I Want You Bad. He also served as a judge on the reality TV show Nashville Star.

In 2018, Robison announced that he was retiring from music due to complications from a throat surgery. He had lost the ability to sing.

“Therefore, with a very heavy heart I am officially retiring from the stage and studio,” he wrote on Facebook.

The Texas singer was a judge on USA Network's Nashville Star for a year, a reality television show in which competitors lived together while fighting for a country music recording contract.

Robison was survived by Kristen Robison, and four children and stepchildren. Three of his children were born to his first wife, Emily Strayer, a founding member of the supergroup The Chicks. In 2008, they divorced.