Grady Martin

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Thomas Grady Martin (* 17th January 1929 in Chapel Hill , Tennessee ; † 3. December 2001 in Lewisburg , Tennessee) was an American country - and Rockabilly - guitarist . Martin is one of the most famous and successful session musicians in Nashville . He was added to the Nashville A-Team , a group of extremely active and sought-after studio musicians.

Life

Childhood and youth

Grady Martin was born in 1929 near the small town of Lewisburg, Tennessee. Martin was the youngest child in a farming family and learned to play the piano from his mother . He later learned to play guitar and fiddle from his big brother . At 15, Martin became a member of Big Jeff Bess ' Band and two years later he joined the Bailes Brothers .

Career

At the age of 17, Martin was first heard on a record as a member of the background band for Curly Fox and Texas Ruby . During this time he began playing as a guitar duo with guitarist Jabbo Arrington and accompanied Little Jimmy Dickens .

From the end of 1949 Martin was active for the first time as a session musician for a great star of country music. He played guitar on Red Foley's biggest million seller Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy , which led to an engagement as a guitarist for Foley's band, his recordings and in Foley's show, the Ozark Jubilee . From 1952 Martin played guitar almost exclusively and rose to become one of the most sought-after studio musicians in Nashville. Together with other musicians such as Bob Moore , Hank Garland and Buddy Harman , he can be heard on countless recordings and was used exclusively as a guitarist by producer Chet Atkins . Martin can be heard on recordings by Hank Locklin , The Browns , Patsy Cline , Red Foley and many more. In addition, Martin had become a member of the Grand Ole Opry .

The “rockabilly boom” began in 1956 and Martin expanded his repertoire as a professional studio musician. During these years he played on recordings of many well-known rockabilly musicians such as Buddy Holly , Johnny Horton , the Collins Kids , Brenda Lee , Ronnie Self , Don Woody , Johnny Carroll , Bobby Lord , Onie Wheeler and alongside Dorsey Burnette as the second guitarist for Johnny Burnette Trio . Since 1951 Martin has also led his own band, the Slewfoot Five . Despite a record deal with Decca Records and countless singles, it was never enough for a chart position and Martin's own songs remained largely unknown.

In 1959 Martin played for Marty Robbins on his single El Paso Spanish-Guitar and accompanied Robbins on the following album. He also worked with the Canadian western musician Montana Slim .

Martin continued to spend the 1960s and 1970s working as a session musician. Stars like Roy Orbison , Lefty Frizzell , Hank Snow , Ernest Tubb , Conway Twitty , Loretta Lynn , Elvis Presley , Tommy Collins and Little Jimmy Dickens took advantage of his talent. He also got into the record business as a producer for Monument Records . From 1978, Martin joined Jerry Reed's band and eventually returned to the stage as a live musician. Martin spent his last professional years in the music business in Willie Nelson's background band.

In the 1990s, his health began to deteriorate and Martin moved back to his hometown, where he died in 2001.

Discography

Singles

Almost all Decca singles were recorded with the Slewfoot Five.

year title Remarks
Decca Records
1951 San Antonio Rose / Bully of the Town
1951 Beer Barrel Polka / Star Dust
1952 Slew Foot Rag / Tell Me Why
1952 Wild Side of Life / It's So Long and Goodbye To You with Burl Ives
1952 Don't Stay Away / Get Up and Give
1952 You Are The Light O'My Life / Night and Day
1952 Just a Little Lovin '/ Till The End of the World with Bing Crosby
1952 Too Old To Cut The Mustard / Waiting In The Lobby of Your Heart with Bing Crosby
1952 Trying / Sweet Jennie Lee
1952 I Went To Your Wedding / You Belong To Me
1952 Settin 'The Woods on Fire / Our Love Isn't Legal with Merv Shiner
1952 Anniversary Song / Happy Birthday
1952 Sioux City Sue / September Song
1952 That Heart Belongs to Me / Picking Sweethearts
1953 Lover's Quarrel / Changeable with Don Cherry
1953 Fool Such as I / Side By Side
1953 Shenanigans, Part I / Shenanigans, Part II
1953 Bandera / Poor Butterfly
1953 My Dear / Goin 'Steady Anniversary with Dick Todd
1953 Sweethearts on Parade / Coquette with Carmen Lombardo
1953 Call Me Up / I've Got A Letter with Jane Turzy
1953 Dragnet / Velvet Glove
1955 Bimbo / Mexicali Rose
1954 My Window Faces the South / Pork Chop Stomp A-side with Red Foley
1954 Short Dog Stomp / My Adobe Hacienda
1954 Isle of Capri / Twelfth Street Rag
1954 Jalousie / Alexander's Ragtime Band
1954 Pretty Girl Is Just Like a Melody / What's the Use
1954 Columbus Stockade Blues / Sweethearts or Strangers with Dick Todd
1955 Long John Boogie / Gorgeous
1955 Singing the Blues Till My Daddy Comes Home / Hot Lips
1955 Don't Take Your Love from Me / Nashville
1956 When My Dream Boat Comes Home / Allegheny Moon
1957 Keep It Movin '/ Somebody Stole My Gal
1957 Somebody Stole My Gal / Rose Room
1957 Chicago / All The Way
1958 Three O'Clock In The Morning / Wedding Bells
1959 Hey Chick / Tuxedo Junction
1959 Elmer's Tune / You've Got Me Cryin 'Again
1961 The Fuzz / Tippin 'In
1961 City Lights / Fraulein
1962 Twist and Turn / Good, Good, Good
1962 Anytime / Down The River of Golden Dreams
1963 Let Me Call You Sweetheart / Beautiful Brown Eyes
1963 Melody of Love / Around The World
1964 Velvet Glove / Heartaches by the Number
1964 El Paso / Me From Malamondo (Funny World)
1965 One Rose / One Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody
1965 He'll Have To Go / Bully of the Town
1965 Ring of Fire / Forever
1965 May The Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose / Battle of New Orleans
1966 Last Letter / Double O Dobro
1967 Kaw-Liga / Heartless Woman
1968 San Antonio Rose / Born Free
1968 Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes / Ribbon of Darkness
1969 Alley Cat / I Wanna Be Around
MCA Records
1973 Happy Birthday / Anniversary Waltz Republication
Monument Records
1976 Riders In The Sky / El Paso

Albums

  • 1955: Country and Western Dance O-Rama
  • 1955: Dance-O-Rama # 6
  • 1956: Jukebox Jamboree
  • 1956: Powerhouse Dance Party
  • 1957: The Roaring Twenties
  • 1959: Hot Time Tonight
  • 1960: Big City Lights
  • 1962: Swingin 'Down the River
  • 1964: Songs Everybody Knows
  • 1965: Instrumentally Yours
  • 1967: Happy Sounds
  • 1967: Touch of Country
  • 1999: Cowboy Classics

Web links