On Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, released Friday (March 29), the superstar salutes pioneering country artist Linda Martell, the first Black woman to ever play the Grand Ole Opry in 1969, and, in doing so, is introducing the pioneer to a whole new audience.
Though she has long retired, the 82-year-old Martell returns on Beyoncé’s album on two segments, both of which address Beyoncé’s refusal to be bound by genre lines. In the introduction to “Spaghettii,” she says, “Genres are a funny little concept, aren’t they? Yes they are. In theory, they have a simple definition that’s easy to understand, but in practice, well, some may feel confined.”
Martell returns on the 28-second interlude titled “The Linda Martell Show,” opening with “Thank you very much,” to the sound of applause. She continues, “This particular tune stretches across a range of genres and that’s what makes it’s a unique listening experience. Yes, indeed. It’s called ‘Ya Ya,’” she says before the genre-bending “Ya Ya” opens to a sample of Nancy Sinatra’s 1966 classic, “These Boots Are Made For Walkin.’”
For many listeners, this is likely the first time they have heard of Martell, who played such a groundbreaking role in country music. Her breakthrough single, “Color Him Father,” peaked at No. 22 in September 1969. The song was the highest-charting song on the tally by a Black woman for more than 50 years until Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” reached No. 1 earlier this year.
On Friday, Martell praised Beyoncé via an Instagram post. “I am proud that @beyonce is exploring her country music roots. What she is doing is beautiful, and I’m honored to be a part of it. It’s Beyoncé, after all!”
Here are seven things you should know about Martell.
Born Thelma Bynem, Martell grew up in South Carolina and first tried to make it as an R&B performer in a trio with her sister and cousin, billed as Linda Martell & the Anglos, before switching to country after a Nashville furniture store owner, William “Duke” Rayner,” saw her singing on an Air Force base and convinced her to come to Nashville, bankrolling her demo.
She released only one album, Color Me Country, in 1970 for Plantation Records. In its review, Billboard wrote, “Linda impresses as a female Charley Pride. She has a terrific style and a true feeling for a country lyric.” The album peaked at No. 40 in October of that year. Rissi Palmer’s essential Apple Music popcast, Color Me Country, takes its name from the album. The Shelby Singleton-produced album was cut in a single day.
Martell charted three singles on Billboard’s Hot Country charts, including “Color Him Father,” which peaked at No. 22 in September 1969. The song was the highest charting song on the chart by a Black female and is about a stepfather who lovingly steps in after the singer’s original father is killed in the Vietnam War. Her cover of Duane Dee’s “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” reached No. 33 (Freddy Fender later took it to No. 1 on the country and pop charts in 1975) and third single, “Bad Case of The Blues” reached No. 58.” “Country music tells a story,” she told Rolling Stone in 2020. “When you choose a song and you can feel it, that’s what made me feel great about what I was singing. I did a lot of country songs, and I loved every one of them. Because they just tell a story.”
She released only one album, Color Me Country, in 1970 for the unfortunately named Plantation Records. In its review, Billboard wrote, “Linda impresses as a female Charley Pride. She has a terrific style and a true feeling for a country lyric.” The album peaked at No. 40 in October of that year. Rissi Palmer’s essential Apple Music popcast, Color Me Country, takes its name from the album. The Shelby Singleton-produced album was cut in a single day.
Martell was the first Black woman to perform on the Grand Ole Opry. Making her debut in 1969, she received two standing ovations, she told Rolling Stone, and went on to appear a dozen times on the revered stage. Martell also appeared on the long-running tv show, Hee Haw.
Despite her initial success, Martell’s career fizzled out pretty quickly, in part fueled by the racism she faced. She learned early on while on tour not to respond to the name-calling that would taunt her. “A lot of times, you feel like saying, ‘OK, look here, I don’t wanna hear that. Please quit calling me names like that.’ But you can’t say that. You can’t say anything,” she told Rolling Stone. “All you can do is do your singing and try your best to forget about it.” She left Nashville in 1974.
A film about her life, Bad Case of the Country Blues: The Linda Martell Story, is coming from her granddaughter. “The thing that I did in country music, nobody can ever equal,” she says in the documentary.