Me and Jimmy Martin at a Bluegrass Festival in Greenwitch Ohio
I used to talk to Jimmy a lot and I spent a significant amount of time with Jimmy as he hit most of the Bluegrass Festivals in Ohio, he loved to go coon hunting and a lot of coon hunting clubs put on festivals. When Tom T. Hall wrote the song “Bill Monroe for Breakfast” a song he penned after eating breakfast one morning and the fancy hotel was playing some music and when they asked Tom about it he said, well where I come from we are used to Bill Monroe for Breakfast – when that song came out another artist Gary Brewer penned “Jimmy Martin songs for Dinner” Jimmy was so proud of that song, he invited me back to his bus to hear it. Jimmy was a very unique guy, what was on Jimmy’s mind came out his mouth, because of that and his temper and attitude, the Grand Ole Opry never invited him to be a member. Some say he had an uneducated foul mouth, but I grew up listening to Jimmy and his driving stubborn attitude was just Jimmy – you either liked him or you hated him. He told off color jokes and was just a character –
Here’s Jimmy signing my 1974 Martin D28 guitar – Why have CF Martin sign it when you can get Jimmy to sign in? BTW this is the guitar I usually take to festivals and it’s loud – The sound hole is opened up a bit (like Tony Rice’s Clarence White guitar) and it has had the braces scalloped – Bryan Kimsey out in Arizona did the work and made that guitar sound like a 50’s Martin. – I’ve also got two Martin D-18 “Andy Griffiths” more on that later..
Here’s a few Jimmy Martin URLs (you might say he’s more “acid grass” the real deal) no drums, nothing but wire and wood (accoustic) the man could do more with three chords than anyone EVER…. Bluegrass sound was created by Flatt, Scruggs, Monroe and the King of Bluegrass Mr. Jimmy Martin <insert G run here>…
Free Born Man http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETVlu5yqFHk
Who will sing for me http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMZVyRDyAWw
Rest in Peace Mr. Good N Country….