-john Arthur martinez & Tejas

john Arthur martinez
Already a rising Americana artist when he took Charlie Robison’s advice to audition for TV’s “Nashville Star,” john Arthur martinez wound up beating Miranda Lambert for second place. A recording contract and Grand Ole Opry debut followed, along with appearances internationally on stages shared with artists including Elton John, Dwight Yoakam, Jack Ingram and Joel Guzman. But his heart remains in Texas, where he honed his chops at Cheatham Street Warehouse while earning his degree in English and broadcast journalism (his lowercased letters pay homage to poet e.e. cummings; the uppercase “A” acknowledges the middle name he’s used since attending a John-filled kindergarten class). Martinez’s desire to nurture music education in his Marble Falls community led to the creation of FiestaJAM. Alan Jackson recently recorded and released one of john Arthur's cowritten songs, "Seguro Que Hell Yes," as part of his box set, Genuine: The Alan Jackson Story.