Biography

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Description:

AVAILABLE DIGITALLY FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!

Inventor of the eight-string fiddle, prolific sideman, stylistic innovator and outstanding showman, Benny Martin is a legend in his own right with a big personality.

Born in 1928 Sparta, Tennessee, Martin started his musical career playing with The Martin Family band at the young age of nine. It wasn’t long before he was recruited by Bill Monroe in 1948 to join the historic Bluegrass Boys. He went on to play with bluegrass pioneers Don Reno, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs before embarking on a solo career and taking residence at The Grand Ole Opry.

Martin became known for his bombastic personality, which was equally well-matched by his approach to the violin, characterized by heavy bow pressure, percussive syncopation, generous slides and frequent double-stops. Over the course of his career, he appeared on over 150 albums and released over a dozen of his own. CMH is proud home to four of those albums, including The Fiddle Collection (1976), Turkey in the Grass (1977), Big Daddy of the Fiddle & Bow (1979) and The Great American Fiddle Collection (1980).

His 1977 contribution to the label Turkey in the Grass (credited as Benny Martin and His Electric Turkeys) is unique among his discography as it showcases his distinctive voice and knack for showmanship. Martin plows his way through a collection of originals and old favorites. His voice charmingly woozy atop his unceasingly barn-burning band. This album is what you get when you combine some of the best musicians around with one of the greatest personalities in the biz.

Tracklist:

1. Turkey in the Grass
2. I Love You a Thousand Ways
3. Freight Train Blues
4. Dixie On My Mind
5. Wash ‘N’ Wear Conscious
6. Poison Love
7. Oh Baby Mine (I Get So Lonely)
8. Gentle On My Mind
9. Who’s Gonna Hold You When I’m Gone
10. Mocking Bird Hill
11. Always Late
12. I can Hear the Hallelujahs in the Air

Credits:

Benny Martin – Vocals, Fiddle & Guitar
Buddy Blackman – 5-String Banjo
Burt Hoffman – Drums
Gregg Kennedy – Bass & Keyboard
Mike McBride – Mandolin & Guitar
Arthur Smith – Mandolin & Dobro
Don Ange – Piano

Produced by Arthur Smith
Recorded at Arthur Smith Studios, Charlotte, North Carolina
Engineers: Hank Poole & Chuck Owens