The King of Bluegrass, Jimmy Martin, Dies in Nashville

Nashville, Tennessee, USA – Bluegrass musician Jimmy Martin passed away May 14, 2005 at approximately 8:45 a.m.. Martin had been fighting cancer for several weeks. On May 12 he was transported from the hospital to Hospice care.

Jimmy Martin, known as “The King of Bluegrass” and “Mr. Good ‘N Country,” was born in Han*censored* County, Sneedville, Tennessee. His lifelong dream came true when he joined Bill Monroe in 1949 as lead singer and emcee.

Jimmy worked with Bill Monroe for five years, helping him write and record such high lonesome classics as “Uncle Pen,” “The Little Girl and the Dreadful Snake,” and “I’ll Meet You in Church Sunday Morning (which Jimmy actually sang tenor to Bill’s lead)”.

The documentary King of Bluegrass: The Life & Times of Jimmy Martin premiered April 29 at the 34th Annual Nashville Film Festival in Nashville, Tennessee. The film was produced by George Goehl, a community organizer based in Chicago.