Benny Martin
Encyclopedia
Benny Edward Martin was an American
bluegrass
fiddle
r who invented the 8-string fiddle.
, his father and two of his sisters played music professionally. From childhood, he learned the fiddle
taught to him by Carl Alverson, Sr., of Sparta and ukulele
, as well as the guitar
and in his early teens left home to go to Nashville
to pursue a full-time career as a country music
ian.
Martin was working at radio station WLAC in Nashville, Tennessee
in 1948 when he was asked to replace Bill Monroe
's fiddler Chubby Wise
who was going to leave the Bluegrass Boys. In 1949, he became a member of Don Reno's Tennessee Cutups. For the next seventeen years, until December 1966, Don Reno
and Martin performed on and off together. In 1952, he joined Flatt and Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys cutting eight songs. On these recordings he played with a bluesy and jazzy flavour that complemented Scruggs' playing. He returned to Monroe's Bluegrass Boys in 1959 but left within a year. In the 1960s, he toured with Roy Acuff
and the Smoky Mountain Boys.
Martin was a member of Grand Ole Opry
and had his own show, The Benny Martin Show. Over the years, Martin performed and recorded with many different artists such as the Stanley Brothers, Jimmy Martin
, Johnnie and Jack, and the Stonemans
. He recorded at least four singles one for Gulf Reef, "Thinking About Love" and "The Man Next Door" and three for Starday "Hello City Limits" "I'll Never Get Over Loving You", "Pretty Girl" "Dimes Worth of Dreams"and "You are the One" with his wife Joanne "No One But You." He hired Colonel Tom Parker
as his manager and eventually would work as the opening act for some of the early Elvis Presley
concerts.
In 1997, after a long retirement and affliction with spasmodic dysphonia,an illness that affected his ability to talk and sing, Benny emerged to record a two part project entitled "The 'Big Tiger' Roars Again" (Parts 1&2) on OMS Records. Produced by Hugh Moore, the cream of contemporary Bluegrass and Country Music stars that contributed was impressive and included Vince Gill, Jerry Douglas, Ronnie McCoury, Ricky Scaggs, Terry Eldridge, Brian Sutton and Alison Krauss.
Benny Martin died in 2001 and was interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens
in Goodlettsville, Tennessee
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
r who invented the 8-string fiddle.
Biography
Born in Sparta, TennesseeSparta, Tennessee
Sparta is a city in White County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 4,599 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of White County. It was the hometown of Lester Flatt of the bluegrass music legends Flatt and Scruggs.-Geography:...
, his father and two of his sisters played music professionally. From childhood, he learned the fiddle
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
taught to him by Carl Alverson, Sr., of Sparta and ukulele
Ukulele
The ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings....
, as well as the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and in his early teens left home to go to Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
to pursue a full-time career as a country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
ian.
Martin was working at radio station WLAC in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
in 1948 when he was asked to replace Bill Monroe
Bill Monroe
William Smith Monroe was an American musician who created the style of music known as bluegrass, which takes its name from his band, the "Blue Grass Boys," named for Monroe's home state of Kentucky. Monroe's performing career spanned 60 years as a singer, instrumentalist, composer and bandleader...
's fiddler Chubby Wise
Chubby Wise
Robert Russell "Chubby" Wise was an American bluegrass fiddler.Wise began playing fiddle at age 15, working locally in the Jacksonville area. He joined the Jubilee Hillbillies in 1938, then began playing with Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys in 1942, including dates at the Grand Ole Opry...
who was going to leave the Bluegrass Boys. In 1949, he became a member of Don Reno's Tennessee Cutups. For the next seventeen years, until December 1966, Don Reno
Don Reno
Don Wesley Reno was an American bluegrass and country musician best known as a banjo player in partnership with Red Smiley, and later with guitarist Bill Harrell.-Biography:...
and Martin performed on and off together. In 1952, he joined Flatt and Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys cutting eight songs. On these recordings he played with a bluesy and jazzy flavour that complemented Scruggs' playing. He returned to Monroe's Bluegrass Boys in 1959 but left within a year. In the 1960s, he toured with Roy Acuff
Roy Acuff
Roy Claxton Acuff was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the King of Country Music, Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedown" format to the star singer-based format that helped make it internationally successful.Acuff...
and the Smoky Mountain Boys.
Martin was a member of Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
and had his own show, The Benny Martin Show. Over the years, Martin performed and recorded with many different artists such as the Stanley Brothers, Jimmy Martin
Jimmy Martin
Jimmy Martin was an American bluegrass musician, known as the "King of Bluegrass".-Early years:Born James H. Martin in Sneedville, Tennessee. Jimmy Martin was born into the hard farming life of rural East Tennessee. He grew up near Sneedville, singing in church and with friends from surrounding...
, Johnnie and Jack, and the Stonemans
Ernest Stoneman
Ernest Van "Pop" Stoneman ranked among the prominent recording artists of country music's first commercial decade.-Biography:...
. He recorded at least four singles one for Gulf Reef, "Thinking About Love" and "The Man Next Door" and three for Starday "Hello City Limits" "I'll Never Get Over Loving You", "Pretty Girl" "Dimes Worth of Dreams"and "You are the One" with his wife Joanne "No One But You." He hired Colonel Tom Parker
Colonel Tom Parker
"Colonel" Thomas Andrew "Tom" Parker born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk, was a Dutch-born entertainment impresario known best as the manager of Elvis Presley...
as his manager and eventually would work as the opening act for some of the early Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
concerts.
In 1997, after a long retirement and affliction with spasmodic dysphonia,an illness that affected his ability to talk and sing, Benny emerged to record a two part project entitled "The 'Big Tiger' Roars Again" (Parts 1&2) on OMS Records. Produced by Hugh Moore, the cream of contemporary Bluegrass and Country Music stars that contributed was impressive and included Vince Gill, Jerry Douglas, Ronnie McCoury, Ricky Scaggs, Terry Eldridge, Brian Sutton and Alison Krauss.
Benny Martin died in 2001 and was interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens
Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens
Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens is a cemetery noted for the number of musicians' graves. It was established in 1960, and is located at 1150 Dickerson Pike in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, just north of Nashville...
in Goodlettsville, Tennessee
Goodlettsville, Tennessee
Goodlettsville is a city in Davidson and Sumner counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Goodlettsville was incorporated as a city in 1958 with a population of just over 3,000 residents; at the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 13,780. Goodlettsville chose to remain autonomous in 1963...
.
Legacy
Martin typified the "country stompin'" music, with his enthusiastic fiddling while dancing around on stage. For almost five decades he was a popular entertainer making numerous appearances throughout the United States and Europe. He also recorded a number of records on which he performed on the fiddle and sang vocals. Martin's fiddle style was revolutionary. His recordings with Flatt and Scruggs are among their best, and he's particularly remembered for "Someone Took My Place With You," which exemplifies his unique use of double stops. Martin continues to astonish and influence contemporary fiddlers even now, notably in the style of Michael Cleveland, who's recorded many tunes originated by Martin.Selected discography
- Country Music's Sensational Entertainer (Starday Records) - 1961
- Old Time Fiddlin' and Singin' (Mercury Wing Records) - 1964
- Southern Bluegrass Fiddle (Marathon Records) - 1974
- Tennessee Jubilee (Flying Fish Records) - 1975
- Fiddle Collection (CMH Records) - 1976
- & His Electric Turkeys: Turkey In the Grass (CMH Records) - 1977
- Big Daddy of the Fiddle & Bow (CMH Records) - 1979
- Nashville Southern Fiddle (OAK Country Music) - 1988
- The "Big Tiger" Roars Again - Part 1 (OMS Records) - 1999
- The "Big Tiger" Roars Again - Part 2 (OMS Records) - 2001