Jimmy Martin (1927-2005) spent four years as Bill Monroe’s lead singer in the early 1950s before launching his own band, the Sunny Mountain Boys. He called himself “the King of Bluegrass” — and his hard-driving lead vocals, his perfect taste in material, and his deep imprint on bluegrass-band sound earned him the title. He featured on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s landmark “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” album. Twenty-two recordings here.

Each song’s page on Picker’s Guide has chord charts, lyrics, recordings, and song history.