The King of Bluegrass Music

In 1949, a man by the name of Jimmy Martin knew of Mac Wiseman's departure from Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys. Martin, also known as the "King of Bluegrass", sneaked backstage at the Grand Ole Opry and began picking his guitar. He was overheard by banjo player Rudy Lyle who brought Martin foward and introduced him to Bill Monroe. Martin proceeded to sing two songs with the Bluegrass Boys and was hiared on the spot as guitarist and lead vocalist.

When Jimmy Martin and Bill Monroe's voices met, it became known as the "High Lonesome Sound". But Martin's high-strung personality inevitably clashed with Bill Monroe's stubborn temperament. He left the Bluegrass Boys and went to work for the Osborne Brothers until he formed his own band, "The Sunny Mountain Boys", in 1955. The lineup in his band consisted of the likes of J.D. Crowe and "Big" Paul Williams. The Sunny Mountain Boys became known as "Good 'n Country" among the bluegrass crowd with their simple harmonies, catchy melodies and strong rythm guitar playing by Jimmy Martin. Martin had credited himself with developing the "G" Run, and widely used guitar lick in bluegrass music. However, other evidence clearly showed Lester Flatt doing this run on his guitar when he performed with the Bluegrass Boys years earlier.

Martin was famous as a dangerously unpredictable but highly entertaining stage presence. He freely acknowledged his problems with drinking and volatile mood swings, which kept him from realizing his life-long dream of joining the Grand Ole Opry.