"El Paso" is a country and western ballad and was released on October 26, 1959. It's widely considered a genre classic for its gripping narrative which ends in the death of its protagonist, its shift from past to present tense, haunting harmonies by vocalist Bobby Sykes and Jim Glaser and the eloquent and varied Spanish guitar accompaniment by Grady Martin that lends the recording a distinctive Tex-Mex feel. The name of the character Felina was based upon a schoolmate of Robbins in the fifth grade; Fidelina Martinez. "El Paso" topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and went to no.19 in United Kingdom, respectively no.38 in Germany. It won the Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording in 1961.