Marty Racine

Marty Racine is originally from California and majored in Mass Communications (Radio-TV) at Arizona State University, graduating in 1968.

He has worked in radio, television and newspapers for the past 50 years at such stations as KAOW-TV, Wausau, Wisconsin; WZMF-FM, Menominee Falls, Wisconsin (Milwaukee market); KPFT-FM, Houston; KEDU-FM, Ruidoso; and KTAL-FM, Las Cruces. He hosts “Cross City Blues” on KRWG from 9 p.m.-midnight Saturdays.

Racine first wrote about music in 1975 for the Milwaukee Bugle-American and the Milwaukee Sentinel. In 1981 he joined the Houston Chronicle as a music critic for 22 years, specializing in rock, blues and folk/Americana. His reports established him as a pre-eminent authority in the field.

After the Chronicle, Racine became editor of the Ruidoso News (2004-2011) and the Las Cruces Bulletin (2017-2020).

“I moved to Las Cruces to escape the winters in Lincoln County,” Racine says. “I had friends and a doctor here already, and I was attracted to the border culture and the university vibe. By happenstance, several opportunities in radio and newspapers opened up, for which I’m most grateful.”

Cross City Blues, he says, “is the culmination of my love affair with the blues, ever since I got turned on to Jimmy Reed by a friend in high school. The show often has a weekly theme, with historical context provided to enhance the musical selections.”

Racine also plays guitar and occasionally jams with others in Las Cruces and Ruidoso.

Throughout his career, Racine has won four first-place and three second-place journalism awards in various categories, including music, sports and travel.