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Linda Martell, the first black female solo country artist to play the Grand Ole Opry, was born during the Jim Crow era on June 4, 1941, in segregated Leesville, South Carolina. She was born as Thelma Bynem to Clarence Leon Bynem, Sr., a Baptist minister, and Willie Mae Caldwell Bynem. Linda’s siblings were Clarence, Jr., Leonard, Elzie Lee, and Evelyn.
In 1957 at the age of 16 in 1957, Linda Martell began her musical journey by forming an R&B trio, ‘Linda Martell and the Anglos,’ with her sister Evelyn and their cousin. The group’s name was later changed to Angelos, reflecting the addition of her brother, Elzie, to the ensemble. This early experience laid the foundation for her future success as a solo country artist. Martell graduated from Twin-City High School in Batesburg-Leesville in 1959.
Linda Martell married Clark Thompson in 1960. They had three children before their divorce in 1966. She then married TV-repair shop owner Ted Jacobs.
Martell’s transition from R&B to Country music was made in 1969 when she was heard singing at the Charleston Air Force base in North Charleston, South Carolina. When she performed “Color Me Country,” the crowd’s enthusiastic response led William “Duke” Rayner, a prominent figure in Nashville’s music scene, and Shelby Singleton Jr., an A&R executive at Mercury Records, to set her up for a demo record.
Later in 1969, Martell broke another barrier by becoming the first Black woman to perform at the prestigious Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. She then went on to produce the album Color Me Country, released by Plantation Records, and a cover for an earlier album recorded by the R&B group Winstons. Martell’s version was a top 25 hit on Billboard’s country chart and peaked at No. 40.
Two singles from the album, “Before the Next Teardrop Falls,” peaked at No. 33, and “Bad Case of The Blues,” which reached No. 58. In 1970, Martell performed on Hee Haw, the television variety show featuring country music and humor. There she sang her hit “Bad Case of The Blues.” Martell appeared on the Grand Ole Opry 11 times between 1969 and 1975, indicting her acceptance and success in this predominantly white industry.
Linda Martell has received numerous honors from the industry and fellow artists who have recognized her as a trailblazer. This includes a lifetime achievement award from the Twin-City High Alumni Association. In 2021 she received the second annual CMT Equal Play Award at the Country Music Television (CMT) Music Awards. This award recognized her legacy as one of country’s first prominent Black female artists. In 2024, Beyoncé, featured Martell as a guest artist on her CD, Cowboy Carter, further heightening her status as a music icon in Country and Western Music.
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Sources:
David Browne, “Linda Martell, Country’s Lost Pioneer,” https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/linda-martell-black-country-grand-ole-opry-pioneer-1050432/;
Drew Weisholtz and Candice Williams, “Who is Linda Martell, and what is her involvement with Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’,” https://www.today.com/popculture/music/who-is-linda-martell-cowboy-carter-rcna145627;
Leonie Cooper, “The story of Linda Martell: country music’s unsung hero,” https://thefortyfive.com/opinion/50-years-of-linda-martell-country-musics-first-black-female-star/?amp.