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In Loving Memory of Jimmy Martin

Born in Sneedville, Tennessee on August 10, 1927, guitarist and lead singer, Jimmy Martin is said to have been the most accomplished figure in bluegrass that was not a member of the Grand Ole Opry.

Although he did some work in radio in Morristown and Knoxville in his youth, his singing career began in Nashville in 1949 when he was just 22. He started out singing with Bill Monroe's "Bluegrass Boys" and continued to work with him off and on for about five years before stemming off into solo projects that quickly took up the majority of his time. His high tenor in combination with Bill Monroe's tenor became known as the "High Lonesome" sound and is evident in songs such as "Sitting Alone in the Moonlight" and "I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome."

His edgy sense of humor and unpredictability in stage performances added charm to comic numbers. His sharp sense of humor and unpredictable behavior in contrast to his obvious sincerity when performing Gospel, won him a lasting place in the hearts of traditional bluegrass fans.

Between his solo records as "The Sunny Mountain Boys" with Decca Records and frequent performances on the Grand Ole Opry, the Wheeling Jamboree, and the Louisiana Hayride, Martin helped to bring bluegrass into the mainstream. Beginning with his single "Rock Hearts" a few of his singles topped the country music charts in the mid fifties. He performed concerts and bluegrass festivals well into the '90s.

After a career of playing alongside influential mandolin artists as Bill Monroe, Paul Williams, and banjo players such as the Osborne Brothers (Bobby & Sonny Osborne), J.D. Crowe, Bill Emerson, Vic Jordan, Sam "Porky" Hutchins, Alan Munde, Martin was proclaimed "King of Bluegrass". In 1971 he sang two songs on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's album "Will the circle be unbroken". His songs "I saw the light" and Sunny Side of the Mountain" endeared a new generation to Martin's traditional bluegrass stylings. He started up a record label "King of Bluegrass" in the '80s and reissued his classic recordings made with Decca back in the early days.

Jimmy Martin was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor in 1995. A documentary entitled, "King of Bluegrass: The Life and Times of Jimmy Martin", was released in 2003. Information about Jimmy Martin's music, his life, and his career may be readily found circulated on the Internet for any who'd like to learn more about this Sneedville native. Many live performances have been posted by fans on youtube for all to enjoy.

Jimmy Martin passed away of cancer on May 14th, 2005. A memorial festival will be held in his hometown of Sneedville, Tennessee on May 30th, 2008.