john Arthur martinez

“It’s so refreshing to meet an artist who plays every appearance with the enthusiasm and passion of his first gig! Musically john Arthur’s got the goods, a smile that lights up the room and the infectious personality to deliver the complete package.”  —Bill Cody, WSM Radio, Nashville, TN​

From the Sixth Street clubs in his birthplace of Austin, Texas to the Alpine festivals in Switzerland, from music venues in Paris, France to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, john Arthur martinez has proven his music grades on stages all over. He acknowledges that he’s among the fortunate few that can make a living doing what they love, “I write, record, and perform songs. And, in doing so, I bare my soul, meet new souls, and see the world.” He’s received the Song of the Year Award from the Acadamy of Western Artists for the title track from his 14th album,  For the Love of Western Swing (& Other Love Songs). His 15th album, Three White Spanish Horse, resulted in a tour of Europe, and his two recording with The Outlaw Firm (Mike Blakely, John M. Greenberg, & john Arthur martinez) have led to additional tours acros the southwest. 

His parents were divorced by the time he was four and even though his mom and stepfather primarily raised him, JAM saw his birth father — a part time musician — enough to know that being a performer was a tough life. Still, the Austin native had the urge to perform the Texas-style of country he loved since grade school, and sneaking into an Asleep at the Wheel show while he was still underage only made it worse.

​He was performing weekly in local clubs by the time he graduated college, playing songs by George Strait, Dan Fogelberg, Hank Williams and the Beatles. martinez moved to Tucson, Arizona to attend graduate school, and not knowing anyone gave him more than enough time to work on his songwriting. As he improved he decided to leave his studies and move back to Austin to seriously pursue a future in music. After numerous trips to Nashville and constant gigging, martinez released his first album, Spinning Our Wheels, in 1998 and sold it at his shows. A previous recording, On the Border was never released. 2001’s Stand Your Ground brought him more attention but it was the American Idol-styled country television show Nashville Star that would break him into the mainstream. During one of the club gigs martinez played in Nashville, he was spotted by a rep from Dualtone records. He finished second on Nashville Star, but Dualtone signed him and released Lone Starry Night in 2004.

​His flowing melodies carry stories told by a true Texas songwriter and his songs have been covered by many independent artists and a couple of major acts. Flaco Jimenez in a duet with Raul Malo covered his “Seguro Que Hell Yes,” co-written with Alex Harvey and Mike Blakely. Flaco’s self-titled album that housed the track won the Grammy for Best Mexican-American Performance. Oddly, Alan Jackson recorded and included the very same song in his box set, Genuine: The Alan Jackson Story. Three of the JAM’s songs are featured the 2019 independent film called I Miss You Already, produced by John 

On occasion JAM will cover song like “When You Say Nothing At All,” (Nashville Star The Finalists) which charted on Billboard, but he gives it his own twist. Interestingly, his bilingual version of “Amarillo by Morning” is seen in line dance videos from Dallas to Florida to South Korea. His D minor recorded interpretation of “Hotel California” showcases his live band. He keeps on writing, recording, and performing. In Spring of 2020 JAM will again tour Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France and for the first time Spain. His 14th CD, For the Love of Western Swing(& Other Love Songs), can be heard on Americana, Texas, and International Country radio and on countless internet-based radio programs. 

AWARDS: 

Texas Music Awards Entertainer of the Year, USA Network’s Nashville Star Runner-up, Crystal Award of Excellence, Grammy-recognized Co-Songwriter, Disco Dance Champion!