Marty Stuart - Details

Biography

Marty Stuart is a singer, songwriter, poet, theatrical composer, musician, photographer, actor, producer, historian, author, President of the Country Music Foundation and Nashville's International Ambassador of Tourism, among other roles. He most recently finished recording his highly acclaimed album "The Pilgrim"; collaborated with Billy Bob Thornton on the soundtrack for "Daddy and Them," working with such performers as Dwight Yoakam and Sheryl Crow; and produced his third album for bluegrass musicians Jerry and Tammy Sullivan.

Stuart rose to prominence in 1989 with a song and album title that described not only the artist but a new direction for country music: "Hillbilly Rock." It quickly rose into the top ten. His second album, "Tempted," was also certified gold and spawned three hits: the title cut, "Little Things," "Till I Found You" and "Burn Me Down." His 1992 duet with Travis Tritt, "The Whiskey Ain't Workin" earned the duo Grammy, Music City News, TNN and CMA Awards. That year, Stuart also fulfilled a lifelong dream - becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry, 20 years after his first appearance on the Opry stage at age 13.

Stuart teamed up with Tritt for another hit single, "This One's Gonna Hurt You," which also served as the title of Stuart's third album. He followed this gold effort with the critically acclaimed "Love and Luck" in 1994, "The Marty Party Hit Pack" in 1995, "Honky Tonkin's What I Do Best" in 1996 and in 1999, "The Pilgrim."

Stuart's recording efforts aren't limited to his own albums. He won his second Grammy for his performance on "Red Wing," from Asleep at the Wheel's "Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills." He collaborated with Clint Black and Matraca Berg to compose Black's chart-topping hit "Still Holding On" and has contributed to cuts by Linda Ronstadt, George Strait, Wynonna, Wade Hayes, John Anderson and the Del McCroury Band, among others. Stuart recently garnered a third Grammy for a song he wrote and produced, "Same Old Train," for the collection "Tribute to Tradition." Joining him on the song were Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, Dwight Yoakam, Joe Diffie, Pam Tillis, Travis Tritt and many more.

For television, Stuart launched the "Marty Party" series of specials on TNN in 1994, and the high-spirited series led to a Marvel Comics special edition comic book, "The Marty Party in Space."

Stuart has been widely recognized for his contributions to country music, including recently receiving the Nashville Mayor's Metronome Award, presented for the first time in 12 years.