Marty Stuart

Major Works of Musician Marty Stuart

• Way Out West (2017)
• Saturday Night/Saturday Morning (2014)
• Nashville, Vol 1 (2012)
• Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions (2010)
• Compadres (2007)
• Live at the Ryman (2006)
• Badlands: Ballads of the Lakota (2005)
• Souls’ Chapel (2005)
• Cool Country Favorites (2003)
• Country Music (2003)
• The Best of Marty Stuart (2002)
• The Pilgrim (1999)
• Honky Tonkin’s What I Do Best (1996)
• The Marty Party Hit Pack (1995)
• Love and Luck (1994)
• Once Upon a Time (1994)
• Let There Be Country (1992)
• This One’s Gonna Hurt You (1992)
• Marty Stuart (1992)
• Tempted (1991)
• Hillbilly Rock (1989)
• Busy Bee Cafe (1982)

Biography of Marty Stuart

by Andrew Nagel (SHS)

Marty Stuart is a man of many talents.  He has won numerous awards singing solo and duets.  When he was thirteen years old, he began playing the mandolin in Lester Flatt’s bluegrass band.  He is now one of country music’s greats and has been singing or playing music most of his life.  He has had his ups and downs on the music chart, but Marty Stuart has come out on top.  He is known around the world for his contributions to country music.

John Marty Stuart was born September 30, 1958 in Philadelphia, Mississippi, to John and Hilda Stuart.  At age three Stuart received a crank up guitar, and even though it wasn’t real, it got him hooked.  By age five he wanted a real guitar.  He taught himself how to play the mandolin.  Stuart did not do well at school because it didn’t really interest him. While other kids just wanted to play outside, Stuart was inside listening to the music of Flatt and Scruggs and Johnny Cash on the radio.  In 1971 Stuart met Lester Flatt at Bill Monroe’s Bean Blossom Festival.  He also met Roland White, who  later gave Stuart the chance to play with Flat (Mattioli).

Marty Stuart performed with the Sullivans on the weekends and during the summer.  The Sullivans were a family gospel group from Alabama.  On one of their trips Stuart ran into Roland White again, and White offered him to join them one weekend .  “I knew they (parents) would do what was right,” Marty says.  “And I knew that Lester would shoot straight with them.  He assured them I’d be seen,  that I’d keep a little money and send the rest to the bank.  He’d have our manager, Lance Leroy, work out the details of how to finish my education.  And he would assume responsibility for it all”(Mattioli 1).  On Labor Day weekend in 1972,  Stuart went to Delaware with Flatt.  Flatt offered Stuart a full-time job in the band (Mattioli).

Stuart continued to perform with Flatt until Flatt’s death in 1979.  After his death Stuart went on the road touring with fiddler Vassar Clements, worked with Doc and Merle Watson, toured with Bob Dylan and played as a session for other artists.  In 1980 Stuart joined with Johnny Cash, another one of his heroes, and traveled with him.  Stuart fell in love with Cindy Cash, Johnny’s daughter, and married her in 1983 but divorced her in 1988.  After six years with Johnny, Stuart decided he wanted to go solo.  In 1997, after they dated a couple of years, he married Connie Smith (Mattioli).

Stuart signed a recording contract with Sugar Hill Label and released the album Busy Bee Cafe in 1982. This record broke the Top Twenty with the song “Arlene.”  This led to a deal with Columbia records in which Stuart released the album Marty Stuart  in 1986.  Stuart moved to MCA records in 1989 and broke the Top Ten with the title cut from Hillbilly Rock in 1990.  His next CD Tempted was released in 1992 and produced four hits.  He recorded a duet with Travis Tritt in 1992 called “The Whiskey Ain’t Workin’ Anymore.”  They were nominated and won vocal event of the year award from the Country Music Association in 1992 and received a Grammy the following year.  He was also inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 1992.  His next album entitled This One’s Gonna Hurt You was released in 1993 and went gold.  Love and Luck was released in 1994, and in 1995 he released The Marty Party Hit Pack.  This album has Stuart’s greatest hits plus samples of his many talents.  He also ran a TV special called Stuart has also made numerous guest appearances on TV shows.(MCA page)

Stuart also writes songs for other artist as well as for himself.  Stuart is going to release a new album on June 15 ,1999, entitled The Pilgrim.  He is also going to have a collection of short stories published entitled Pilgrims.  Stuart recently received the Artist Achievement Award at the Mississippi Arts Festival.  He is also the current president of the Country Music Foundation (Lucas).

Awards

1999 Governor’s Excellence in Art Award for Artists Achievement
1999 Grammy award for County Collaboration with vocals
1997 Metronome award from Nashville’s Mayor
1995 Tex Ritter Award
1994 Grammy award Country Instrumental
1993 BMI Song writing Awards
1993 Grammy award for local Collaboration
1992 CMA vocal event of the year
1992 BMI song writing award

Other Honors

1995 Stuart inducted into Starwalk at Opryland
1995 Nashville trolley system named a trolley for him
1994 Received star at country Star Restaurant
1994 Inducted into sidewalk of the Stars at the Music Valley Wax Museum
1992 Received Star on Country Hall of Fame’s Walkway of stars

Timeline

• 1958 – John Marty Stuart born in Philadelphia ,Mississippi, on September 30.
• 1963 – Stuart learns to play guitar
• 1970 – Traveled with the Sullivan family, a gospel group from Alabama.
• 1972 – Travels with Lester Flatt for the first time in his bluegrass band.
• 1972 – First time at Grand Ole Opry
• 1979 – Flatt dies and Stuart leaves the band.
• 1979 – Travels around touring with people like Vassar Clemants and Doc and Merle Watson.
• 1980 – Stuart joins Johnny Cash’s band
• 1982 – Album Busy Bee Cafe released on Sugar Hill Label
• 1983 – Marries Cindy Cash, daughter of Johnny Cash.
• 1986 – Stuart decides to go solo
• 1986 – Album Marty Stuart released on Columbia Records
• 1988 – Divorces Cindy Cash
• 1989 – moves to MCA records
• 1990 – Hillbilly Rock album released on MCA records which breaks the Top Ten and introduces a new direction for country
• 1992 – Tempted album released on MCA records, certified gold
• 1992 – Becomes a member of Grand Ole Opry, twenty years after his first appearance
• 1993 – This One’s Gonna Hurt album released on MCA records
• 1994 – Love and Luck album released on MCA records
• 1995 – Marty Party Hit Pack album released on MCA records
• 1996 – Honky Tonkin’s What I do Best album released on MCA records
• 1997 – Stuart marries Connie Smith
• 1999 – The Pilgrim (coming June 15)
• 1999 – Pilgrims book of short stories by Stuart to be published

Related Websites

• Marty Stuart’s Website
• Rolling Stone: Stuart Reveals Late Night Jam Lineup on ‘Colbert)
• Biography: Marty Stuart
• Garden & Gun: Marty Stuart: memory Keeper

Bibliography

• Hoops, Jana. “Marty Stuart Comes Home for Casino concert.”   The Clarion-Ledger 18 June, 1998:7F
• Lucas, Sherry. “Home is where the art is.”  The Clarion-Ledger  14 March, 1999:10G.
• Lucas, Sherry. “Music legend Staples, Stuart headline Excellence in Arts Awards.”  The Clarion-Ledger 1999.