- Born
- Died
- Nickname
- Jimmie Martin
- Jimmy Martin was born on August 10, 1927 in Sneedville, Tennessee, USA. He was an actor, known for Five Red Herrings (1975), Nitty Gritty Dirt Band: Will the Circle Be Unbroken Vol. II (1989) and High Lonesome: The Story of Bluegrass Music (1992). He died on May 14, 2005 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
- Oversized Stetson hat
- He was lead vocalist and guitarist for the The Bluegrass Boys from 1949-54, and later formed his own band, the Sunny Mountain Boys. He performed several times at the Opry, but never achieved his dream of becoming a regular cast member, allegedly because of his temperamental behavior.
- He was born on a hog farm, and hunted and sold 'possum skins to buy his first guitar. At 21, he was fired from a factory job for singing at work. He talked his way backstage at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, and persuaded bluegrass legend Bill Monroe to let him sing a few songs with him. Monroe was impressed and hired him.
- [2002 interview with "The Tennessean " newspaper, explaining his feisty reputation] I'm just an old country boy with a third-grade education, and I'm liable to say anything.
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