History Music / JohnMartyn

* ''[[ExcitedShowTitle Stormbringer!]]'' (1970; with Beverley Martyn)

Born Iain David [=McGeachy=], John Martyn (September 11, 1948 - January 29, 2009) was an influential British singer-songwriter with an impressive [[LongRunner 40-year career]] weaving an incredible [[NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly range of genres]] in his work. He originally started off in the London Folk scene with other musicians including Roy Harper, Gordon Giltrap, Burt Jansch, a young Music/MikeOldfield, and Martyn's close friend Music/NickDrake. Despite five years worth of prior albums, it wasn't until 1973 that Martyn made a name for himself with ''Solid Air,'' an album that combined the best of his folk years with healthy doses of jazz-leanings. Ever since, he became more famous, especially in his native Britain, through working with big names in music, including Music/EricClapton [[note]]Who covered Martyn's "May You Never" on ''Slowhand.''[[/note]], Music/PhilCollins, Music/SteveWinwood, Music/DavidGilmour and Lee "Scratch" Perry.

Born Iain David [=McGeachy=], John Martyn (September 11, 1948 - January 29, 2009) was an influential British singer-songwriter with an impressive [[LongRunner 40-year career]] weaving an incredible [[NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly range of genres]] in his work. He originally started off in the London Folk scene with other musicians including Roy Harper, Gordon Giltrap, Burt Jansch, a young Mike Oldfield, and Martyn's close friend Music/NickDrake. Despite five years worth of prior albums, it wasn't until 1973 that Martyn made a name for himself with ''Solid Air,'' an album that combined the best of his folk years with healthy doses of jazz-leanings. Ever since, he became more famous, especially in his native Britain, through working with big names in music, including Music/EricClapton [[note]]Who covered Martyn's "May You Never" on ''Slowhand.''[[/note]], Music/PhilCollins, Music/SteveWinwood, Music/DavidGilmour and Lee "Scratch" Perry.

! Tropes related to John Martyn:

* BigFun: Was a [[DeconstructedTrope deconstruction]] of this in the years before his death. Getting huskier by the late '80's, he had to have a leg amputated below the knee in 2003, owing to a burst cyst. Despite the challenges, he retained a [[{{Main/SadClown}} joking demeanor]] like he had when he was younger.

Born Iain David [=McGeachy=], John Martyn (September 11, 1948 - January 29, 2009) was an influential British singer-songwriter with an impressive [[LongRunner 40-year career]] weaving an incredible [[NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly range of genres]] in his work. He originally started off in the London Folk scene with other musicians including Roy Harper, Gordon Giltrap, Burt Jansch, a young Mike Oldfield, and Martyn's close friend Music/NickDrake. Despite five years worth of prior albums, it wasn't until 1973 that Martyn made a name for himself with ''Solid Air,'' an album that combined the best of his folk years with healthy doses of jazz-leanings. Ever since, he became more famous, especially in his native Britain, through working with big names in music, including Music/EricClapton [[note]]Who covered Martyn's "May You Never" on ''Slowhand.''[[/note]], Music/PhilCollins, Steve Winwood, Music/DavidGilmour and Lee "Scratch" Perry.

Born Iain David [=McGeachy=], John Martyn (September 11, 1948 - January 29, 2009) was an influential British singer-songwriter with an impressive [[LongRunner 40-year career]] weaving an incredible [[NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly range of genres]] in his work. He originally started off in the London Folk scene with other musicians including Roy Harper, Gordon Giltrap, Burt Jansch, a young Mike Oldfield, and Martyn's close friend Music/NickDrake. Despite five years worth of prior albums, it wasn't until 1973 that Martyn made a name for himself with ''Solid Air,'' an album that combined the best of his folk years with healthy doses of jazz-leanings. Ever since, he became more famous, especially in his native Britain, through working with big names in music, including Music/EricClapton [[note]]Who covered Martyn's "May You Never" on ''Slowhand.''[[/note]], Music/PhilCollins, [[Music/{{Traffic}} Steve Winwood]], Music/DavidGilmour and Lee "Scratch" Perry.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/john_martyn.jpeg]]
Born Iain David [=McGeachy=], John Martyn (September 11, 1948 - January 29, 2009) was an influential British singer-songwriter with an impressive [[LongRunner 40-year career]] weaving an incredible [[NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly range of genres]] in his work. He originally started off in the London Folk scene with other musicians including Roy Harper, Gordon Giltrap, Burt Jansch, a young Mike Oldfield, and Martyn's close friend Music/NickDrake. Despite five years worth of prior albums, it wasn't until 1973 that Martyn made a name for himself with ''Solid Air,'' an album that combined the best of his folk years with healthy doses of jazz-leanings. Ever since, he became more famous, especially in his native Britain, through working with big names in music, including Music/EricClapton [[note]]Who covered Martyn's "May You Never" on ''Slowhand.''[[/note]], Music/PhilCollins, [[{{Music/Traffic}} Steve Winwood]], Music/DavidGilmour and Lee "Scratch" Perry.

Born Iain David [=McGeachy=], John Martyn (September 11, 1948 -January 29, 2009) was an influential British singer-songwriter with an impressive [[LongRunner 40-year career]] weaving an incredible [[NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly range of genres]] in his work. He originally started off in the London Folk scene with other musicians including Roy Harper, Gordon Giltrap, Burt Jansch, a young Mike Oldfield, and Martyn's close friend Music/NickDrake. Despite five years worth of prior albums, it wasn't until 1973 that Martyn made a name for himself with ''Solid Air,'' an album that combined the best of his folk years with healthy doses of jazz-leanings. Ever since, he became more famous, especially in his native Britain, through working with big names in music, including Music/EricClapton [[note]]Who covered Martyn's "May You Never" on ''Slowhand.''[[/note]], Music/PhilCollins, [[{{Music/Traffic}} Steve Winwood]], Music/DavidGilmour and Lee "Scratch" Perry.

Born Iain David [=McGeachy=], John Martyn (September 11, 1948-January 29, 2009) was an influential British singer-songwriter with an impressive [[LongRunner 40-year career]] weaving an incredible [[NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly range of genres]] in his work. He originally started off in the London Folk scene with other musicians including Roy Harper, Gordon Giltrap, Burt Jansch, a young Mike Oldfield, and Martyn's close friend Music/NickDrake. Despite five years worth of prior albums, it wasn't until 1973 that Martyn made a name for himself with ''Solid Air,'' an album that combined the best of his folk years with healthy doses of jazz-leanings. Ever since, he became more famous, especially in his native Britain, through working with big names in music, including Music/EricClapton [[note]]Who covered Martyn's "May You Never" on ''Slowhand.''[[/note]], Music/PhilCollins, [[{{Music/Traffic}} Steve Winwood]], Music/DavidGilmour and Lee "Scratch" Perry.

Born Iain David [=McGeachy=], John Martyn (September 11, 1948-January 29, 2009) was an influential British Singer-Songwriter with an impressive [[LongRunner 40-year career]] weaving an incredible [[NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly range of genres]] in his work. He originally started off in the London Folk scene with other musicians including Roy Harper, Gordon Giltrap, Burt Jansch, a young Mike Oldfield, and Martyn's close friend Music/NickDrake. Despite five years worth of prior albums, it wasn't until 1973 that Martyn made a name for himself with ''Solid Air,'' an album that combined the best of his folk years with healthy doses of jazz-leanings. Ever since, he became more famous, especially in his native Britain, through working with big names in music, including Music/EricClapton [[note]]Who covered Martyn's "May You Never" on ''Slowhand.''[[/note]], Music/PhilCollins, [[{{Music/Traffic}} Steve Winwood]], Music/DavidGilmour and Lee "Scratch" Perry.

Born Iain David [=McGeachy=], John Martyn (September 11, 1948-January 29, 2009) was an influential British Singer-Songwriter with an impressive [[LongRunner 40-year career]] weaving an incredible [[NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly range of genres]] in his work. He originally started off in the London Folk scene with other musicians including Roy Harper, Gordon Giltrap, [[{{Music/Pentangle}} Burt Jansch]], a young Music/MikeOldfield, and Martyn's close friend Music/NickDrake. Despite five years worth of prior albums, it wasn't until 1973 that Martyn made a name for himself with ''Solid Air,'' an album that combined the best of his folk years with healthy doses of jazz-leanings. Ever since, he became more famous, especially in his native Britain, through working with big names in music, including Music/EricClapton [[note]]Who covered Martyn's "May You Never" on ''Slowhand.''[[/note]], Music/PhilCollins, [[{{Music/Traffic}} Steve Winwood]], Music/DavidGilmour and Lee "Scratch" Perry.

* ViolentGlaswegian: See DomesticAbuse[=/=]FreudianExcuse above. Alongside that, some stories have popped up about his wilder side, such as [[{{Music/Free}} Paul Kossoff]] breaking a bottle over his head while touring in the U.S.

Notably, he wrote the title track of his 1973 breakout album, ''Solid Air,'' in [[{{Main/Dedication}} dedication]] to Music/NickDrake, who was in the grips of suicidal depression at the time (he would commit suicide the following year).

* GenreBusting: {{Downplayed|Trope}}. He mainly found his footing in folk, but managed get his feet wet in blues, jazz, Jamaican dub, reggae, synth-rock, and Music/PhilCollins-esque adult contemporary, before backtracking to folk. Notably, the time around his big break with ''Bless The Weather'' and ''Solid Air'' had seen to more of a jazz-mix, eventually mutating to an electronic style with an acoustic guitar plugged into fuzz boxes and reverb boxes: an innovative development for the mid-late 70's.

* ViolentGlaswegian: See Main/DomesticAbuse/Main/FreudianExcuse above. Alongside that, some stories have popped up about his wilder side, such as [[{{Music/Free}} Paul Kossoff]] breaking a bottle over his head while touring in the U.S.

* ''The Road To Ruin'' (1970; with Beverley Martyn)
* ''Bless The Weather'' (1971)

* ''Grace And Danger'' (1980)

* ''Piece By Piece'' (1986)

* ''[[CoverAlbum The Church With One Bell]]'' (1998)

* ''On The Cobbles'' (2004)
* ''[[PosthumousCollaboration Heaven And Earth]]'' (2011)

!Tropes related to John Martyn

* Main/TheAlcoholic/Main/DrugsAreBad: Much of his more controversial side can be owed to drugs and drink.
* Main/BigFun: Was a [[DeconstructedTrope deconstruction]] of this in the years before his death. Getting huskier by the late '80's, he had to have a leg amputated below the knee in 2003, owing to a burst cyst. Despite the challenges, he retained a [[{{Main/SadClown}} joking demeanor]] like he had when he was younger.
* Main/DomesticAbuse/Main/FreudianExcuse: Sadly, as revealed in a [[https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/apr/17/beverley-martyn-singer-new-album-interview 2014 interview with The Guardian,]] fellow singer/songwriter and ex-wife Beverley Martyn admits to a "Luciferian" side of John in their relationship. John was revealed to have a distrust of women stemming from [[ParentalAbandonment his mother leaving him.]] Tensions led to him making death threats before their 1979 separation.

* Main/GenreBusting: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed.]] He mainly found his footing in folk, but managed get his feet wet in blues, jazz, Jamaican dub, reggae, synth-rock, and Music/PhilCollins-esque adult contemporary, before backtracking to folk. Notably, the time around his big break with ''Bless The Weather'' and ''Solid Air'' had seen to more of a jazz-mix, eventually mutating to an electronic style with an acoustic guitar plugged into fuzz boxes and reverb boxes: an innovative development for the mid-late 70's.
* Main/SadClown: In public appearances, he seemed to be a homey and friendly, if a bit drunk, guy. His [[DomesticAbuse home life]] [[ViolentGlaswegian on the other hand...]]
* Main/StageName: Born Iain [=McGeachy=].
* Main/ViolentGlaswegian: See Main/DomesticAbuse/Main/FreudianExcuse above. Alongside that, some stories have popped up about his wilder side, such as [[{{Music/Free}} Paul Kossoff]] breaking a bottle over his head while touring in the U.S.

* Main/GenreBusting: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed.]] He mainly found his footing in folk, but managed get his feet wet in blues, jazz, Jamaican dub, reggae, synth-rock, and Creator/PhilCollins-esque adult contemporary, before backtracking to folk. Notably, the time around his big break with ''Bless The Weather'' and ''Solid Air'' had seen to more of a jazz-mix, eventually mutating to an electronic style with an acoustic guitar plugged into fuzz boxes and reverb boxes: an innovative development for the mid-late 70's.

Notably, he wrote the title track of his 1973 breakout album, ''Solid Air,'' in [[{{Main/Dedication}} dedication]] to Music/NickDrake, who had committed suicide the year prior.

Despite his acclaim in British folk circles, Martyn has been just as infamied for his tumultuous home life, which led to an acrimonious separated between him and fellow singer/songwriter Beverley Martyn in 1979.

Born Iain David [=McGeachy=], John Martyn (September 11, 1948-January 29, 2009) was an influential British Singer-Songwriter with an impressive [[LongRunner 40-year career]] weaving an incredible [[NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly range of genres]] in his work. He originally started off in the London Folk scene with other musicians including Roy Harper, Gordon Giltrap, Burt Jansch, a young Music/MikeOldfield, and Martyn's close friend Music/NickDrake. Despite five years worth of prior albums, it wasn't until 1973 that Martyn made a name for himself with ''Solid Air,'' an album that combined the best of his folk years with healthy doses of jazz-leanings. Ever since, he became more famous, especially in his native Britain, through working with big names in music, including Music/EricClapton [[note]]Who covered Martyn's "May You Never" on ''Slowhand.''[[/note]], Music/PhilCollins, [[{{Music/Traffic}} Steve Winwood]], Music/DavidGilmour and Lee "Scratch" Perry.

Born Iain David [=McGeachy=], John Martyn (September 11, 1948-January 29, 2009) was an influential British Singer-Songwriter with an impressive [[LongRunner 40-year career]] weaving an incredible [[NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly range of genres]] in his work. He originally started off in the London Folk scene with other musicians including RoyHarper, Gordon Giltrap, Burt Jansch, a young MikeOldfield, and Martyn's close friend NickDrake. Despite five years worth of prior albums, it wasn't until 1973 that Martyn made a name for himself with ''Solid Air,'' an album that combined the best of his folk years with healthy doses of jazz-leanings. Ever since, he became more famous, especially in his native Britain, through working with big names in music, including EricClapton [[note]]Who covered Martyn's "May You Never" on ''Slowhand.''[[/note]], PhilCollins, [[{{Music/Traffic}} Steve Winwood]], DavidGilmour and Lee "Scratch" Perry.

Born Iain David McGeachy, John Martyn (September 11, 1948-January 29, 2009) was an influential British Singer-Songwriter with an impressive [[LongRunner 40-year career]] weaving an incredible [[NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly range of genres]] in his work. He originally started off in the London Folk scene with other musicians including RoyHarper, Gordon Giltrap, Burt Jansch, a young MikeOldfield, and Martyn's close friend NickDrake. Despite five years worth of prior albums, it wasn't until 1973 that Martyn made a name for himself with ''Solid Air,'' an album that combined the best of his folk years with healthy doses of jazz-leanings. Ever since, he became more famous, especially in his native Britain, through working with big names in music, including EricClapton [[note]] Who covered Martyn's "May You Never" on ''Slowhand.'' [[note/]], PhilCollins, [[{{Music/Traffic}} Steve Winwood]] and Lee "Scratch" Perry.