Jimmy Martin
Musician · 1927–2005 · Sneedville, Tennessee
Best known for
Guitar
Lead Vocals
Jimmy Martin was the self-proclaimed “King of Bluegrass” — a rail-thin Tennessee tenor whose hard-driving vocals and exacting bandleading with the Sunny Mountain Boys (1955–2005) produced some of the most propulsive, emotionally powerful bluegrass ever recorded. His singing — equal parts rhythmic command, heartfelt pleading, and bravado — influenced every post-1960s bluegrass lead singer, while his demanding personality, alcoholism, and flamboyant self-promotion made him one of the most complicated figures in the genre's history.
- Born James Henry Martin in Sneedville, Tennessee, in rural Hancock County. Lost his father early; worked young as a farm hand and laborer. Taught himself guitar in his teens.
- Moved to Morristown, Tennessee to sing on local radio. Auditioned for Bill Monroe at the Grand Ole Opry and joined the Blue Grass Boys in December 1949 as lead singer and rhythm guitarist — one of the most celebrated of Monroe's post-Flatt-and-Scruggs lead vocalists.
- Five years with Monroe (1949–1954) produced classic Decca recordings including “Uncle Pen,” “In the Pines,” “On and On,” “Memories of Mother and Dad,” and the 1952 recording of “Voice from On High.” Martin's presence on these records defined the sound of mid-century Monroe bluegrass.
- Left Monroe in 1954 to form a duo with Bob Osborne (of the Osborne Brothers); they recorded for RCA Victor in 1954–55. The partnership dissolved when Bob's brother Sonny returned from military service.
- Formed the Sunny Mountain Boys in 1956 and signed with Decca Records. Recorded over four decades with the band, most famously for Decca and MCA through 1974.
- Hired J.D. Crowe on banjo in 1956 at age 19; Crowe's four-year tenure (1956–1960) with Martin established his reputation. Other Sunny Mountain Boys alumni include Paul Williams, Doyle Lawson, Bill Emerson, Alan Munde, Vernon Derrick, Gloria Belle, and Audie Blaylock — virtually every young bluegrass musician in the eastern U.S. passed through the band at some point.
- Classic Sunny Mountain Boys recordings: “Rock Hearts,” “Widow Maker,” “20/20 Vision,” “Sophronie,” “Ocean of Diamonds,” “Night,” and the gospel hit “Prayer Bells of Heaven.”
- Guest-starred on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's Will the Circle Be Unbroken (1972) — his performances of “Losin' You (Might Be the Best Thing Yet),” “You Don't Know My Mind,” and “Sunny Side of the Mountain” introduced him to the rock-and-folk generation and produced some of his most treasured recordings.
- Desperately wanted to join the Grand Ole Opry but was never invited to membership — a wound he carried publicly throughout his life, voicing his frustration in interviews and onstage.
- Known as the “King of Bluegrass” — a title he gave himself and insisted upon. Legendary for his demanding bandleading style, his pointed critiques of band members during and after shows, and his exacting vocal and rhythmic standards.
- Heavy drinking and personal turmoil marked his later years. Tom Piazza's 1997 book True Adventures with the King of Bluegrass chronicled a complicated four-day visit with the aging Martin at his home.
- Inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor in 1995.
- Continued performing until shortly before his death. Diagnosed with bladder cancer; died on May 14, 2005 in Nashville at age 77. Buried at Spring Hill Cemetery in Madison, Tennessee near his hero Lester Flatt.
- His influence on later bluegrass vocalists (Del McCoury, Dan Tyminski, Russell Moore, Ralph Stanley II, countless others) is inseparable from modern bluegrass singing — the propulsive, blues-inflected lead vocal style he codified remains the genre's central model.
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Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain BoysPlayed on recordings with Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys
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Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass BoysPlayed on recordings with Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys
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Jimmy Martin and Ralph StanleyPlayed on recordings with Jimmy Martin and Ralph Stanley
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Jimmy Martin and the Osborne BrothersPlayed on recordings with Jimmy Martin and the Osborne Brothers
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The Nitty Gritty Dirt BandPlayed on recordings with The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
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Bill EmersonPlayed on recordings with Bill Emerson
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Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain BoysPlayed on recordings with Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys