Artist description REM(Ron E. Martin) has been a member of and/or fronted many bands, both rock, folk-rock, and country; among those have been, The Furies, The Missing Links, Kaleidoscope, The Wampus Cats, and Shiloh. He has also performed considerably as a solo artist. Having grown up on the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and the Byrds, Martin played folk-rock and rock'n'roll in the sixties, seventies, and eighties. However, because of his lifelong interest in country music, Martin formed a band called Shiloh and played originals and covers with a surprisingly similar sound to the so-called West Coast Sound of Buck Owens, Dwight Yokam, Merle Haggard, and other country stars from the West Coast. Martin is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist (six and twelve-string guitars, harmonica, bass, mandolin, and keyboards.

Music Style Country music with a contemporary twist

Musical Influences The Beatles, The Byrds, Bob Dylan, Buck Owens, Dwight Yokam

Similar Artists Paul McCartney, Chris Hillman, Dwight Yokam

Artist History REM (Ron E. Martin) is a native of Leaksville, North Carolina. In the sixties and seventies he and fellow Leaksvillian John Marshall Carter played in a bevy of bands in the Southeastern United States. In the eighties, Martin and Carter formed The Wampus Cats, a folk-rock band that played originals and covers of their heroes The Beatles, The Byrds, Bob Dylan, The Lovin' Spoonful, and others. Martin has written numerous songs including "Olden Days," "The River", "Avalon", "Dylanesque," "All I Want Is A Friend", "Nikki", "Mason Wine", "Cowboy," "Dear Martha", and a host of others. He has also co-written several songs with John Marshall Carter, most notably "The Wampus Cat Song", " My Everything Is You", "Bordertown", "Haunting From the Past", "Whippoorwill", among others.

Group Members Ron E. Martin is a solo performer but continues to perform with members of past groups or friends. He also has a studio in Leaksville, North Carolina where he records his originals and produces the work of other artists.

Instruments six and twelve-string guitars, keyboards, bass, harmonica, mandolin

Additional Info Martin has contributed articles to the Byrds' Fan Magazine, a London publication

Location Leaksville, North Carolina - USA

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