Odell Martin

[JeffS]

I've been watching some Youtube videos of Feron Young, and I've seen several videos in the late 50's/early 60's time period and Odell Martin is playing guitar with him. Does anyone know what years Odell played with Feron? Also, did Odell play on the studio recordings as well?

Thanks,
Jeff Stovall

[Robbie Jones]

I'm pretty sure Chet played on the original recording of Alone With You.

[Randy Finney]

Of course, I didn't even know about Odell until I read your post (thank you for turning me on to him). As a fan of Faron Young, you may already know this site (http://dianediekman.com/) but, if not, check it out. It seems to have great deal of specific information (especially the "Newsletter and Blog" section).

For example, I found this:

"Leon Sutton replaced Odell Martin in 1964 as lead guitar player for Faron Young's Country Deputies."

Randy

[Norm]

Unfortunately so very little is known about sidemen like Odell and Paul. The music business just isn't very lucrative at sideman level. Some, like Jerry Reed and Chet, paid their sidemen decently and probably better than others but the bus station in Nashville carries two kinds of passengers. Incoming new hotshot guitar players and outgoing burnt out ones.

The stars are the ones who made The Money. Sidemen are extremely expendable and will work for scale or not work.

There was always a lot of competition for what studio work was available and thumb style guitar was, I think, getting phased out as a popular accompaniment style.

It's a tough business.

[Vidar Lund]

It took a very long time before the names of the musicians were printed on the record covers, so the sidemen were almost totally unkown to most of the record buyers. Things have improved.

[gmoseley]

Norm hit the nail on the head with his post. I was friends with O'Dell long before I ever met Paul. After O'Dell went to work with Faron, we were all interested in seeing him "live" on those Saturday afternoon T.V. shows. I noticed he wasn't "burnin' up" the fretboard as he used to do when he played with us on our club dates. He told us that after he had worked about two jobs with Faron, he was called over to the side one night while they were having intermission.
Faron said, "son, you're a fine guitar player, but when you're on the stage with me, I am the only star up there....always remember that if you want a long career in the music business!"

Even back then, you were fighting a battle getting a job with a big star if you were a "thumbpicker" - - you usually started with somebody who liked the style, , , , Grandpa Jones, Cousin Jodie, etc. Paul used to say that Billy Byrd told him he'd better "throw that damn thumbpick away" if he wanted longevity in Nashville!

Its a shame that such great players as O'Dell never got more publicity, but, as Norm said, it's a tough business, those stars don't want any competition on stage, and most all the session players used straight picks and got that clean single note sound - - when you played backup, that what the singer wanted to hear,,,,,"play what's on the record boy"!

Gayle Moseley

[Norm]

I met Odell briefly at some GOO type function in Nashville in 1960 or so. His was the first gretsch CG I ever saw close up. (beautiful grain on it) By then my friends called Odell a "plunk plunk' (like Luther Perkins style) player. The singers he did back up that day only had him playing dead string rythym (plunk plunk). We so wanted to hear that CG work.

[JeffS]

I appreciate the information. I, like most of you have been following Chet and trying to play his music for a long time. It wasn't until I read all of Paul's posting on the ChetBoard that I learned of Odell. The small amount of recordings/videos I've found of him sure make me wish more were available.

There is a real treasure of information that Paul made available to anyone intrerested through this website. His willingness to share his knowledge is something very valuable - so much info that I never would have known without discovering it here through Paul's generosity.

Thanks again,
Jeff Stovall