| King of Bluegrass: Life and Times of Jimmy Martin |
65 minutes, 2003
USA
by George Goehl |
|
King of Bluegrass is a film about the most colorful figure in bluegrass music. The story follows Jimmy Martin's lifelong quest to reach his childhood dream of becoming a regular cast member of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN. Known for his flamboyant dress, crazed hunting trips, and brash behavior, Jimmy Martin is the rebel child of bluegrass music. A noted country music conversation piece, the reigning 'King of Bluegrass' will make you laugh, cringe, and cry.
The documentary interweaves the historical story of Martin's quest to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry with recently shot footage that captures the essence of the man and his music. The film crew followed Martin on tour throughout the south and midwest, capturing unique moments backstage, onstage, and on the road. The crew, which gained almost unlimited access, gives the viewer a slice of Martin's life outside of music as they filmed one of his famed raccoon hunting trips, a rabbit and squirrel barbecue picnic, and a trip back to his old home place in the hills of Sneedville, TN. Interviews were conducted with bluegrass and country music stars such as Ralph Stanley, Tom T. Hall, Marty Stuart, JD Crowe, Paul Williams, Bill Emerson and others.
As a youngster in Sneedville, TN, Jimmy Martin was completely fascinated by the sounds of the weekly radio broadcast of WSM's Grand Ole Opry, the pinnacle institution in country music for musicians of his generation. When he was five years old, he made his first guitar out of a Prince Albert cigar can because Prince Albert was a sponsor of the Grand Ole Opry. At the age of 21, Martin was fired for singing on the job in a factory in Morristown, TN. He then boarded a bus to Nashville to catch a show at the Grand Ole Opry. Following the show he talked his way backstage and approached his idol, bluegrass pioneer, Bill Monroe. There, he convinced Monroe to sing a couple of songs with him. Monroe hired him on the spot.
During his tenure with Monroe, Martin helped change the sound of bluegrass music. His aggressive rhythm guitar added a fierce drive to his mentor's music and Martin's strong, high vocal range pushed Monroe's tenor up into the sky, creating what has become known as the 'high lonesome' sound. Martin then went on to have a successful solo career as Jimmy Martin & the Sunny Mountain Boys, cutting 136 sides and a number of hits for Decca Records. He became a cast member of the KWKH Louisiana Hayride and then the WWVA Wheeling Jamboree in West Virginia. Both the Hayride and the Jamboree were considered stepping stones to Opry membership, but while Martin did a few guest spots on the Opry, he was never made a member. Martin is likely the most accomplished figure in bluegrass music to never have been made a member of the Grand Ole Opry and at age 75 is still very conflicted about it.
www.kingofbluegrass.com |
