Farewell Jimmy Martin

The "King of Bluegrass," Jimmy Martin, passed away this morning after a long battle with cancer. He was 77.

An ornery but (almost) always lovable ol' cuss, sometimes seemingly unable to have a thought without expressing it in voice, Jimmy was a character among characters. He was also without doubt a world-class musician and one of the men who made Bluegrass sound the way it does today. He and his distinctly high lonesome voice, sometimes I think the quintessential Bluegrass voice, will be sorely missed.

You can check out his life story in the movie, King of Bluegrass, The Life & Times of Jimmy Martin. I haven't seen it yet myself, but it just so happened to be next in my Netflix queue.

I want to extend my sympathies to his family, friends, and fans. God bless you, Jimmy. I hope you're singing those high notes happily tonight.