Linda Martell: Country Music’s Unsung Hero

Black music fans have been diving into country music since Beyonce released two country songs (“Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages”) during Super Bowl Sunday. This led to people bringing up other up-and-coming black country artists and the current success of such acts including Mickey Guyton and Kane Brown. Before the release of these songs, Guyton and Brown had been making strides in country music, along with Jimmie Allen (the second African American artist to win the CMA New Artist of the Year). The first is Darius Rucker, who notably rose to fame in the rock band, Hootie & the Blowfish, and started his solo country career in 2008. After that, the history of African Americans in the country tends to become less visible and falls to the wayside; although African Americans created the genre, some instruments typically used in country music can be traced back to Africa.

While people are finally recognizing black country music greats like DeFord Bailey, (the first black Country star to appear on WSM’s Grand Ole Opry) there are numerous who deserve recognition. If we’re just now finding out about people like DeFord Bailey, imagine how many more black country stars are swept under the rug. This is why I want to take a moment and honor Linda Martell. Now don’t feel guilty; she’s a new name to me just as she is to anyone reading this article. However, she’s someone you need to know if you truly want to know the history of country music.

Born Thelma Bynem in Leesville, South Carolina, Martell grew up with her father, a preacher and sharecropper, and mother, who worked at a chicken slaughterhouse. She started singing as a R&B trio with her family Linda Martell and the Anglos. After little success, the group split, and Martell started her solo career in country music after being discovered on an Air Force base. After meeting Shelby Singleton, she signed with Plantation Records, recorded two cover songs, and released her debut album, Color Me Country the following year. It reached number 40 on the Billboard Top Country Album chart. Martell made numerous TV appearances, even becoming the first black woman to play a show at the Grand Ole Opry, eventually playing there 12 times.

Martell with manager Duke Rayner (left) and musician Leon Rhodes backstage at the Ryman Auditorium.

While the success was coming in smoothly, the downfall of her newfound fame was a sign of the times. Linda Martell experienced plenty of racism from the predominately white country music scene. Many times when she would perform, she had to deal with hecklers yelling out racial slurs. Soon other conflicts occurred; Nashville furniture salesman William "Duke" Rayner, the man who helped Martell make her first demo, sued her because he believed he deserved a higher commission. Shelby Singleton helped take the attention away from the lawsuit, but would soon cut ties with her and focus on her label mate, Jeannie C. Riley, because she was selling more. After much drama, Martell retired from the Nashville country music scene. She would perform in smaller clubs and on the weekends. She had various jobs, owned a record shop, and eventually settled in South Carolina to be closer to her family, taking a job as a bus driver. Some never knew of the historic past, but her coworkers did. Over the years her life became low profile. However, the resurgence of interest in Martell’s career began after being featured in a Swedish TV program. She has also become the topic of a podcast on Apple Music, Color Me Country Radio with Rissi Palmer, a fellow black country singer. In 2021, a GoFundMe campaign was started to help create a documentary about her life and career as a Nashville performer.

Filmmaker, Quia Thompson with her grandmother, Linda Martell

In honor of Women’s History Month and to coincide with Black History Month, I write this article not only to honor Linda Martell but in the hope that other people will be inspired to dig deeper into our history. There is so much that has yet to be discovered, and while books and movies are being banned, we can’t let another icon be shoved to the back. Without Linda Martell, there wouldn’t be a slew of black country artists (black female country artists at that) still trying to break barriers. Linda Martell is an unsung hero whose name should be plastered everywhere. She is the embodiment of an American star.