Marty Stuart

Biography: Marty Stuart got his first crank-up guitar at the age of 3, which didn't take long for Marty to focus on music. By age 5 marty wanted a real guitar. Marty soon taught himself to play the guitar and started playing the mandolin a few years later which his mother, Hilda lent him the money for. Marty's parents (John and Hilda) loved music too and took Marty to see Bill Monroe perform. Marty first saw Lester Flatt and the Nashville Grass at Bill Monroe's Bean Blossom Festival in 1971. Marty also met the man who would play a pivotal role in launching Marty's professional music career, Roland White, a member of Lester's band. Marty soon started performing with the bluegrass band The Sullivans. They played festivals and Pentecostal churches in the South. It was during one of these festivals that Marty ran into Roland again. This time Roland gave Marty his phone number and told him to call him if Marty could ever come out on the road with them for a weekend. Marty decided to callMarty Stuart got his first crank-up guitar at the age of 3, which didn't take long for Marty to focus on music. By age 5 marty wanted a real guitar. Marty soon taught himself to play the guitar and started playing the mandolin a few years later which his mother, Hilda lent him the money for. Marty's parents (John and Hilda) loved music too and took Marty to see Bill Monroe perform. Marty first saw Lester Flatt and the Nashville Grass at Bill Monroe's Bean Blossom Festival in 1971. Marty also met the man who would play a pivotal role in launching Marty's professional music career, Roland White, a member of Lester's band. Marty soon started performing with the bluegrass band The Sullivans. They played festivals and Pentecostal churches in the South. It was during one of these festivals that Marty ran into Roland again. This time Roland gave Marty his phone number and told him to call him if Marty could ever come out on the road with them for a weekend. Marty decided to call Roland. It didn't take long for Marty to convince his parents to go Nashville on a bus. Lester then offered Marty a full-time job with his band. Marty performed with Lester until his death in 1979. He went on the road with fiddler Vassar Clements, worked with Doc and Merle Watson, toured with Bob Dylan, played as a session musician on albums by Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Emmylou Harris, Neil Young and Billy Joel. Once Johnny Cash heard Marty play guitar and invited Marty to join his band. Marty soon met and fell in love Johnny's daughter Cindy. They got married in 1983 and divorced in 1988. After a six-year stint with Johnny and being a sideman his entire professional musical career, it was time to take a step furter. Marty signed a recording contract with CBS Records in 1986, they released the album Marty Stuart. The first single off the album, "Arlene" broke the Billboard Top 20 and he was nominated for Best New Male Vocalist by the Academy of Country Music. Marty left CBS Records after that album garnered little chart success. Marty returned home to Mississippi. Jerry Sullivan called and asked Marty could join there band. Marty went back to Nashville once more to hit stardom, which he did. Marty's current solo career from 1989 to 2000 was with MCA Records. With four gold albums and countless hit singles, Marty's career continues to go strong. Marty is one of the best instrumentalists in the business. Marty soon then found another love of his life, country music legend and Sweetheart of the Grand Ole Opry, Connie Smith. They were married on July 8, 1997 and have been ever scince.… Expand