1928
Joe
2013
Joe Martin
July 6, 1928 — September 15, 2013
Joe Martin was born July 6, 1928 in Lavaca, Arkansas. He died September 15, 2013 at Lackey Memorial Hospital in Forest. He was a member of Harperville Baptist Church.
A musical memorial service was held at Harperville Baptist Church Wednesday, September 18 at 2pm with musicians Bob Saxton, guitarist, Miriam Patrick, Blake Hines, Shelby Wilkerson and Irene Martin, pianists and Kathy Lee, soloist. Memories were shared by Randy Noel. The Reverends Bobby McKay, Pastor, Harperville Baptist Church and Mark Smith, Pastor, Forest Presbyterian Church and Brenda Creel, R.N. provided consolation and encouragement to the family and friends.
Pallbearers were Ronnie Davis, Forest; Jim Hunter, Gadsden, AL.; David Lee, Forest; Chris, Danny and Raymond Noel, New Orleans and Nicholas Noel, Pensacola, FL.
He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Cassie Huff Martin, four brothers, Rufus, Willie, George and Albert Martin, two sisters, Odessa Yancey and Susie Campbell, all of the Fort Smith, Arkansas area.
He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Irene Burnham Martin, one son, Joe Steven (Karon) Martin and two grandchildren, Russell and Tara Martin, Harperville, one sister Audie Hendrix, Central, Arkansas and a number of nieces and nephews.
Joe began playing guitar at the age of 5. As a young person he was very athletic and intended to pursue a career in professional baseball. However, when Bill Cason and the Arkansas Troopers asked him to play guitar on their radio show in Fort Smith, Arkansas that began a 60-year career in music which took him to New Orleans as a staff musician at WWL along with Al Hirt and Pete Fountain. While in New Orleans, his band played for the wedding of Hank Williams to Billie Jean Eshlimar; he recorded “Milk Cow Blues” which was played on the Bob and Ray Show in New York City and he and Bill Cason had bit parts in the Jean Crawford movie “Johnnie Guitar”.
Joe excelled in anything he did, whether playing bass (“whoever’s playing bass in God’s band just got moved to second chair!”) dominoes, shooting doves (“Joe could carry his bucket and ammo on one arm and outshoot everybody else with his other arm!”); whiles he and Irene were in California, he outdrew a member of a fast draw club with their gun. They invited him to join them, but he declined.
After moving from California to Mississippi, Joe played many years with Skeets McWilliams, Bob Saxton, Charlie Dillingham, Al Ward, and Dave Morgan.
Joe earned the love and respect of great musicians around the country. To paraphrase a commercial, “Nobody didn’t love Joe Martin,” and that was especially true of his beloved Irene, Steve, Karon, Russell and Tara whom he adored.
Funeral services provided by Ott & Lee of Forest.
Tel. (601) 469-3412.
A musical memorial service was held at Harperville Baptist Church Wednesday, September 18 at 2pm with musicians Bob Saxton, guitarist, Miriam Patrick, Blake Hines, Shelby Wilkerson and Irene Martin, pianists and Kathy Lee, soloist. Memories were shared by Randy Noel. The Reverends Bobby McKay, Pastor, Harperville Baptist Church and Mark Smith, Pastor, Forest Presbyterian Church and Brenda Creel, R.N. provided consolation and encouragement to the family and friends.
Pallbearers were Ronnie Davis, Forest; Jim Hunter, Gadsden, AL.; David Lee, Forest; Chris, Danny and Raymond Noel, New Orleans and Nicholas Noel, Pensacola, FL.
He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Cassie Huff Martin, four brothers, Rufus, Willie, George and Albert Martin, two sisters, Odessa Yancey and Susie Campbell, all of the Fort Smith, Arkansas area.
He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Irene Burnham Martin, one son, Joe Steven (Karon) Martin and two grandchildren, Russell and Tara Martin, Harperville, one sister Audie Hendrix, Central, Arkansas and a number of nieces and nephews.
Joe began playing guitar at the age of 5. As a young person he was very athletic and intended to pursue a career in professional baseball. However, when Bill Cason and the Arkansas Troopers asked him to play guitar on their radio show in Fort Smith, Arkansas that began a 60-year career in music which took him to New Orleans as a staff musician at WWL along with Al Hirt and Pete Fountain. While in New Orleans, his band played for the wedding of Hank Williams to Billie Jean Eshlimar; he recorded “Milk Cow Blues” which was played on the Bob and Ray Show in New York City and he and Bill Cason had bit parts in the Jean Crawford movie “Johnnie Guitar”.
Joe excelled in anything he did, whether playing bass (“whoever’s playing bass in God’s band just got moved to second chair!”) dominoes, shooting doves (“Joe could carry his bucket and ammo on one arm and outshoot everybody else with his other arm!”); whiles he and Irene were in California, he outdrew a member of a fast draw club with their gun. They invited him to join them, but he declined.
After moving from California to Mississippi, Joe played many years with Skeets McWilliams, Bob Saxton, Charlie Dillingham, Al Ward, and Dave Morgan.
Joe earned the love and respect of great musicians around the country. To paraphrase a commercial, “Nobody didn’t love Joe Martin,” and that was especially true of his beloved Irene, Steve, Karon, Russell and Tara whom he adored.
Funeral services provided by Ott & Lee of Forest.
Tel. (601) 469-3412.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Joe Martin, please visit our flower store.