Grady Martin
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
- Entry in the All Music Guide
- biography
- Grady Martin on Hillbilly-Music.com (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Martin, Grady |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Martin, Thomas Grady (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American country and rockabilly guitarist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 17, 1929 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Chapel Hill , Tennessee |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 3, 2001 |
| Place of death | Lewisburg , Tennessee |