Benny Edward Martin (May 8, 1928
– March 13, 2001),
was an American
bluegrass fiddle
A fiddle is a Bow (music), bowed String instrument, string musical instrument, most often a violin or a bass. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including European classical music, classical music. Althou ...
r who invented the eight-string fiddle. Throughout his musical career he performed with artists such as the
Bluegrass Boys,
Don Reno
Donald Wesley Reno (February 21, 1926Trischka, Tony, "Don Reno", ''Banjo Song Book'', Oak Publications, 1977, – October 16, 1984) was an American bluegrass and country musician, best known as a pioneering banjo and guitar player who pa ...
, the Smoky Mountain Boys and
Flatt and Scruggs
Flatt and Scruggs were an American bluegrass duo. Singer and guitarist Lester Flatt and banjo player Earl Scruggs, both of whom had been members of Bill Monroe's band, the Bluegrass Boys, from 1945 to 1948, formed the duo in 1948. Flatt and Scr ...
, and later performed and recorded with
the Stanley Brothers
The Stanley Brothers were an American Bluegrass music, bluegrass duo of singer-songwriters and musicians, made up of brothers Carter Stanley (August 27, 1925 – December 1, 1966) and Ralph Stanley (February 25, 1927 – June 23, 2016). Ralph a ...
,
Hylo Brown
Hylo Brown (April 20, 1922 – January 17, 2003) was an American bluegrass and country music singer, guitarist and bass player.
Biography
Frank "Hylo" Brown Jr. was born in River, Johnson County, Kentucky, United States, and began his career ...
,
Jimmy Martin
James Henry Martin (August 10, 1927 – May 14, 2005) was an American bluegrass singer and musician, known as the "King of Bluegrass".
Early years
Martin was born in Sneedville, Tennessee, United States, and was raised in the hard farming l ...
,
Johnnie and Jack, and
the Stonemans
Ernest Van "Pop" Stoneman (May 25, 1893 – June 14, 1968) was an American musician, ranked among the prominent recording artists of country music's first commercial decade.
Biography
Born in a log cabin in Monarat (Iron Ridge), Carroll Count ...
, among others. He was inducted into the
International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame
For a professional in the bluegrass music field, election to the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame is the highest honor the genre can bestow. An invitation can be extended to performers, songwriters, promoters, broadcasters, musicians, a ...
in 2005.
Biography
Born in
, United States,
his father and two of his sisters played music professionally.
From childhood, he learned the
fiddle
A fiddle is a Bow (music), bowed String instrument, string musical instrument, most often a violin or a bass. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including European classical music, classical music. Althou ...
taught to him by Carl Alverson, Sr., of Sparta and
ukulele
The ukulele ( ; ); also called a uke (informally), is a member of the lute (ancient guitar) family of instruments. The ukulele is of Portuguese origin and was popularized in Hawaii. The tone and volume of the instrument vary with size and con ...
, as well as the
guitar
The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
and in his early teens left home to go to
Nashville
Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
to pursue a full-time career as a
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
ian.
Martin was working at radio station WLAC in
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
in 1948 when he was asked to replace
Bill Monroe
William Smith Monroe ( ; September 13, 1911 – September 9, 1996) was an American mandolinist, singer, and songwriter who created the bluegrass music genre. Because of this, he is often called the " Father of Bluegrass".
The genre takes its n ...
's fiddler
Chubby Wise
Robert Russell "Chubby" Wise (October 2, 1915 – January 6, 1996) was an American bluegrass fiddler.
Originally starting out playing the banjo and guitar, Wise began playing fiddle at age 12, working locally in the Jacksonville area. He joine ...
, who was going to leave the Bluegrass Boys.
[Rosenberg 2005, p. 78.] In 1949, he became a member of Don Reno's Tennessee Cutups. For the next seventeen years, until December 1966,
Don Reno
Donald Wesley Reno (February 21, 1926Trischka, Tony, "Don Reno", ''Banjo Song Book'', Oak Publications, 1977, – October 16, 1984) was an American bluegrass and country musician, best known as a pioneering banjo and guitar player who pa ...
and Martin performed on and off together.
[Ewing 2000, p. 30.] In 1950, Martin joined
Roy Acuff
Roy Claxton Acuff (September 15, 1903 – November 23, 1992) was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the "King of Country Music", Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedown ...
's Smoky Mountain Boys on the
Grand Ole Opry
The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a regular live country music, country-music Radio broadcasting, radio broadcast originating from Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, on WSM (AM), WSM, held between two and five nights per week, depending on the ...
, staying with the group until the fall of 1951. During 1951, Martin appeared on all 20 songs at Roy Acuff's last three recording sessions for
, playing fiddle,
mandolin
A mandolin (, ; literally "small mandola") is a Chordophone, stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally Plucked string instrument, plucked with a plectrum, pick. It most commonly has four Course (music), courses of doubled St ...
, guitar, and
banjo
The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and in modern forms is usually made of plastic, where early membranes were made of animal skin.
...
.
In 1952, he joined
Flatt and Scruggs
Flatt and Scruggs were an American bluegrass duo. Singer and guitarist Lester Flatt and banjo player Earl Scruggs, both of whom had been members of Bill Monroe's band, the Bluegrass Boys, from 1945 to 1948, formed the duo in 1948. Flatt and Scr ...
and the Foggy Mountain Boys cutting eight songs. On these recordings he played with a bluesy and jazzy flavour that complemented Scruggs' playing.
[Lange 2004, p. 135.] Following a tenure with Johnnie and Jack and the Tennessee Mountain Boys, he returned to Monroe's Bluegrass Boys in 1959, but left within a year. In the 1960s, he toured once again with
Roy Acuff
Roy Claxton Acuff (September 15, 1903 – November 23, 1992) was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the "King of Country Music", Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedown ...
and the Smoky Mountain Boys.
[Schlappi 1993, p. 95.]
Martin was a member of
Grand Ole Opry
The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a regular live country music, country-music Radio broadcasting, radio broadcast originating from Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, on WSM (AM), WSM, held between two and five nights per week, depending on the ...
and had his own show, The Benny Martin Show.
[Beisswenger 2005, p. 3.] Over the years, Martin performed and recorded with many different artists such as the
Stanley Brothers
The Stanley Brothers were an American bluegrass duo of singer-songwriters and musicians, made up of brothers Carter Stanley (August 27, 1925 – December 1, 1966) and Ralph Stanley (February 25, 1927 – June 23, 2016). Ralph and Carter perf ...
,
Jimmy Martin
James Henry Martin (August 10, 1927 – May 14, 2005) was an American bluegrass singer and musician, known as the "King of Bluegrass".
Early years
Martin was born in Sneedville, Tennessee, United States, and was raised in the hard farming l ...
,
Johnnie and Jack, and
the Stonemans
Ernest Van "Pop" Stoneman (May 25, 1893 – June 14, 1968) was an American musician, ranked among the prominent recording artists of country music's first commercial decade.
Biography
Born in a log cabin in Monarat (Iron Ridge), Carroll Count ...
. He recorded at least four singles one for Gulf Reef, "Thinking About Love" and "The Man Next Door" and three for Starday "Hello City Limits" "I'll Never Get Over Loving You", "Pretty Girl" "Dimes Worth of Dreams" and "You are the One" with his wife Joanne "No One But You." He hired
Colonel Tom Parker
Colonel Thomas Andrew Parker (born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk; June 26, 1909 January 21, 1997) was a Dutch people, Dutch talent manager and concert promoter, best known as the manager of Elvis Presley.
Parker was born in the Netherlands and Il ...
as his manager and eventually would work as the opening act for some of the early
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
concerts.
Fiddle and banjo player
John Hartford
John Cowan Hartford (December 30, 1937 – June 4, 2001) was an American folk, country, and bluegrass composer and musician known for his mastery of the fiddle and banjo, as well as for his witty lyrics, unique vocal style, and extensive kn ...
was inspired by Martin in the 50s and over the decades they played together on multiple albums and projects. Said Hartford, "I first heard Benny Martin with
Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs in the early fifties and his playing opened up a whole new world to me of how the fiddle should go…
eplayed these lush beautiful chords and slides that just hugged and danced and got up all around me and before the music was over I was bouncing off the walls.”
In 1997, after a long retirement and affliction with
spasmodic dysphonia
Spasmodic dysphonia, also known as laryngeal dystonia, is a disorder in which the muscles that generate a person's voice go into periods of spasm. This results in breaks or interruptions in the voice, often every few sentences, which can make a p ...
, an illness that affected his ability to talk and sing, Benny Martin emerged to record a two part project entitled ''The 'Big Tiger' Roars Again'' (Parts 1&2) on OMS Records. Produced by Hugh Moore, the cream of contemporary bluegrass and country music stars that contributed was impressive and included
Vince Gill
Vincent Grant Gill (born April 12, 1957) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He played in a number of local bluegrass music, bluegrass bands in the 1970s, and from 1978 to 1982, he achieved his first mainstream attention after ta ...
,
Jerry Douglas
Gerald Calvin Douglas (born May 28, 1956) is an American Dobro and lap steel guitar player and record producer. He is widely regarded as "perhaps the finest Dobro player in contemporary acoustic music, and certainly the most celebrated and prol ...
,
Ronnie McCoury
Ronald Delano McCoury, known as Ronnie McCoury, (born March 16, 1967) is an American mandolin player, singer, and songwriter. He is the son of bluegrass musician Del McCoury, and is best known for his work with the Del McCoury Band
and the Trave ...
,
Ricky Skaggs
Rickie Lee Skaggs (born July 18, 1954), known professionally as Ricky Skaggs, is an American neotraditional country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, ma ...
,
Bryan Sutton
James Bryan Sutton (born 1973) is an American musician. Primarily known as a flatpicking acoustic guitar player, Sutton also plays mandolin, banjo, ukulele, and electric guitar. He also sings and writes songs.
Biography Early career
Sutton's gr ...
and
Alison Krauss
Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass-country singer, fiddler and music producer. She entered the music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of eight and recording for the first time at ...
.
[OMS Records, www.omsrecords.com]
Martin died in March 2001,
and was interred in
Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens in
Goodlettsville, Tennessee
Goodlettsville is a city in Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson and Sumner County, Tennessee, Sumner Counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It was incorporated as a city in 1958 with a population of just over 3,000 residents; in 2020, its popul ...
.
Legacy
Martin typified the "country stompin'" music, with his enthusiastic fiddling while dancing around on stage. For almost five decades, he was a popular entertainer who made numerous appearances throughout the United States and Europe. He also recorded a number of records on which he performed on the fiddle and sang vocals. Martin's fiddle style was revolutionary. His recordings with Flatt and Scruggs are among their best, and he's particularly remembered for "Someone Took My Place With You," which exemplifies his unique use of double stops. Martin continues to astonish and influence contemporary fiddlers even now, notably in the style of Michael Cleveland, who has recorded many tunes originated by Martin.
Selected discography
* ''Country Music's Sensational Entertainer'' (Starday Records) – 1961
* ''Old Time Fiddlin' and Singin (Mercury Wing Records) – 1964
* ''Southern Bluegrass Fiddle'' (Marathon Records) – 1974
* ''Rollin (Lamb & Lion Records) – 1975
* ''Tennessee Jubilee'' (Flying Fish Records) – 1975
* ''Fiddle Collection'' (CMH Records) – 1976
* & His Electric Turkeys: ''Turkey In the Grass'' (CMH Records) – 1977
* ''Big Daddy of the Fiddle & Bow'' (CMH Records) – 1979
* ''Nashville Southern Fiddle'' (Re-issue of 1974's ''Southern Bluegrass Fiddle'' with one song omitted) (OAK Country Music) – 1988
* ''The "Big Tiger" Roars Again – Part 1'' (OMS Records) – 1999
* ''The "Big Tiger" Roars Again – Part 2'' (OMS Records) – 2001
Notes
References
* Beisswenger, Drew (2005), ''The World's Hottest Fiddlers'', Mel Bay Publications
* Ewing, Tom (2000), ''The Bill Monroe Reader'', University of Illinois Press
* Hartford, John (1999), “Benny Martin: The Genius of Music City, USA,” Fiddler Magazine
* Lange, Jeffrey J. (2004), ''Smile When You Call Me a Hillbilly'', University of Georgia Press
* Rosenberg, Neil V. (2005), ''Bluegrass: A History'', University of Illinois Press
* Schlappi, Elizabeth (1993), ''Roy Acuff, the Smoky Mountain Boy'', Pelican Publishing Company
{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Benny
1928 births
2001 deaths
American country singer-songwriters
American male singer-songwriters
American bluegrass fiddlers
People from Sparta, Tennessee
RCA Victor artists
Starday Records artists
20th-century American singer-songwriters
Singer-songwriters from Tennessee
Country musicians from Tennessee
20th-century American male singers
Foggy Mountain Boys members