Similar Artists:
Ma Rainey,
Ida Cox,
Sylvester Weaver,
Victoria Spivey,
Bessie Smith,
Charley Lincoln,
Ishman Bracey,
Blind Roosevelt Graves,
Butterbeans & Susie,
Blind Blake,
Clifford Hayes,
Henry Thomas,
Mississippi Sheiks,
Tommy Johnson,
Papa Charlie Jackson,
Lucille Bogan
Followers:
Worked With:
Thomas Morris,
Clarence Williams,
Eva Taylor,
Cyrus St. Clair,
Charlie Irvis,
Arville Harris,
Sidney Bechet,
King Oliver
Formal Connection With:
- Born: May 18, 1884, Louisville, KY
- Died: May 24, 1955, Louisville, KY
- Active: '20s, '30s
- Genres: Blues
- Instrument: Choir, Chorus, Vocals
- Representative Albums: "1922-1928," "Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 4: 1925-1928," "Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 3: 1924-1925"
- Representative Songs: "Atlanta Blues," "Death Sting Me Blues," "Blind Man Blues"
Biography
Known in her heyday as "the blues sensation of the West," the big-voiced Sara Martin was one of the best of the classic female blues singers of the '20s.Martin began her career as a vaudeville performer, switching to blues singing in the early '20s. In 1922, she began recording for OKeh Records, cutting a number of bawdy blues like "Mean Tight Mama." She continued recording until 1928. During this time, Martin became a popular performer on the southern Theater Owners' Booking Association circuits, eventually playing theaters and clubs on the east coast as well.
In the early '30s, Sara Martin retired from blues singing and settled in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. While she was in Louisville, she ran a nursing home and occasionally sang gospel in church. Sara Martin died after suffering a stroke in 1955. ~ Cub Koda, All Music Guide
