Gary Martin plays with Kevin Joseph at the Muskoday Music Festival. (Cody Horne Cody's Captures)

By Nigel Maxwell

Community events

Prince of Blues makes stop in Prince Albert

Sep 4, 2024 | 5:00 PM

Reflecting back on a musical career that spans over five decades, Gary Martin jokes his love for the blues started when he was still in his mother’s womb.

The award winning artist will play Thursday night at the ANAVETS Club in Prince Albert.

“The thing is, when I started playing, I never started playing to be famous or being the best guitarist. I always want to play for the people,” he explained to paNOW.

Born in Chicago, with Mississippi roots, Martin’s influences includes such music greats as Jimmy Dawkins, Eric Clapton and Howlin’ Wolf. By age 14, he was fronting his own band and had a song on the Billboard music charts. This past June, during a ceremony in event, Martin was inducted into Chicago’s Blues Hall of Fame.

Gary Martin with his award in Chicago. (Facebook/Gary Martin)

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In his quest to perfect his craft, Martin has studied with over 100 masters including Wayne Bennett, Little Milton, Philip Walker, Herb Ellis, and members of Motown’s illustrious Funk Brothers.

Miles Davis once stated “Gary will be a man of all seasons because of the all the styles he is mastering.” Reflecting back on the music he loves, Martin noted the biggest change is that the recording industry basically took blues and made a hybrid of it where there’s more rock in it.

“We’re not saying that blues was pure or nothing like that. But what we’re making the point is it’s being, it’s being popularized. I’ll leave it like that because when you do recording and stuff, you’re going into the popular side of music. It still doesn’t speak for your artistic value that comes from your live performances.”

In addition to being a massive talent on stage, Martin has also done a lot to help at-risk youth, and through a program he started, speaks to them about why they should stay away from gangs.

In Chicago, in the early 70s, he and his cousin were walking home when they got jumped and beaten up by gang members. The following month, Martin’s cousin succumbed to his injuries and the people responsible were released due to technicalities.

Martin, who was placed into witness protection, later returned to his community and became involved with martial arts. He later offered local kids free lessons.

“I used to tell the young people, think about the future. Do you want your kids in the gangs? Do you want your kids sacrificed because if they can’t kill you, because they will kill someone in your family. And if you think you won’t run afoul of the gang, you’re just not thinking correctly,” he said, adding everyone is a sacrificial lamb when it comes down to the top guys being put in jail.

(dustyblues.com)

From Ontario to Chicago, Martin has helped a number of youth and acknowledged he has had hundreds of kids come back and send Christmas cards. Many still call him Sensei, he said.

“They’re in their 30s and 40s and they’ve got kids. You know, they still call me and their parents call me,” he said.

With respect to Thursday night’s show, and what the audience can expect, Martin confirmed he will play some dance music and covers from the 50s to the 80s.

“And at the same time I’ll be dipping in and out with my blues from over the decades and showing them some of the Speakeasy sounds that we did. So that’s what we’ll be doing and having lots of fun telling stories, joking, laughing.”

Thursday night’s show starts at 7 p.m. As of Wednesday there were still some tickets available.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @nigelmaxwell