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Benny Martin was one of bluegrass music's premiere fiddlers and the inventor of the eight-string fiddle. Born to a musical family in Sparta, Tennessee, he made his debut on a local radio station when he was only eight. He played in a local band for a while and when he was 13 went to Nashville to work with Big Jeff & the Radio Playboys at WLAC. He remained with the group for nearly ten years, and also began working as a session man for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Dot+Records%22">Dot Records</a>. Martin also recorded a solo album on the Pioneer label; one of his early singles, "Me and My Fiddle," became his signature song.
Frequently, Martin worked as a sideman for such performers as <a href="spotify:artist:5CWbfANRpZbnxdstzcNg5H">Bill Monroe</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7heUyuJw3gZftFZRa1rV6M">Roy Acuff</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4fxdqujwhb2NIQyr7qnnPX">Kitty Wells</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:1iNNWK8bYjc5EK0waLk1J1">Flatt & Scruggs</a>. He founded his own band in 1954 and also briefly joined the Grand Ole Opry. During the mid-'50s he was managed by Col. Tom Parker and opened for <a href="spotify:artist:43ZHCT0cAZBISjO8DG9PnE">Elvis Presley</a> 35 times. This was not a great time to be a country performer, and Martin began doing more session and sideman work than solo recording. In 1963 he had his only chart hit, "Rosebuds and You." In the mid-'60s, he briefly teamed with <a href="spotify:artist:7rB502Ec9wP6wZQxhztkM7">Don Reno</a> and recorded a gospel album. Martin continued working behind others, performing at festivals and recording frequently on various labels through the early '80s, when his health began failing. Suffering from a condition known as spasmodic dysphonia, Martin remained retired for many years but re-emerged in 1999 with The Big Tiger Roars Again, Pt. 1, a star-studded tribute to the fiddler and his myriad contributions to bluegrass music through the years. The Big Tiger Roars Again, Pt. 2 appeared in 2001; Benny Martin died on March 13 of that year at the age of 72. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
Frequently, Martin worked as a sideman for such performers as <a href="spotify:artist:5CWbfANRpZbnxdstzcNg5H">Bill Monroe</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7heUyuJw3gZftFZRa1rV6M">Roy Acuff</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4fxdqujwhb2NIQyr7qnnPX">Kitty Wells</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:1iNNWK8bYjc5EK0waLk1J1">Flatt & Scruggs</a>. He founded his own band in 1954 and also briefly joined the Grand Ole Opry. During the mid-'50s he was managed by Col. Tom Parker and opened for <a href="spotify:artist:43ZHCT0cAZBISjO8DG9PnE">Elvis Presley</a> 35 times. This was not a great time to be a country performer, and Martin began doing more session and sideman work than solo recording. In 1963 he had his only chart hit, "Rosebuds and You." In the mid-'60s, he briefly teamed with <a href="spotify:artist:7rB502Ec9wP6wZQxhztkM7">Don Reno</a> and recorded a gospel album. Martin continued working behind others, performing at festivals and recording frequently on various labels through the early '80s, when his health began failing. Suffering from a condition known as spasmodic dysphonia, Martin remained retired for many years but re-emerged in 1999 with The Big Tiger Roars Again, Pt. 1, a star-studded tribute to the fiddler and his myriad contributions to bluegrass music through the years. The Big Tiger Roars Again, Pt. 2 appeared in 2001; Benny Martin died on March 13 of that year at the age of 72. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
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