Sara Martin

by Cub Koda & Stephen Thomas Erlewine Known in her heyday as the blues sensation of the West, the big-voiced Sara Martin was one of the best of the classic female blues singers of the 20s. Martin began her career as a vaudeville performer, switching to blues singing in the early 20s. In 1922, she began recording for OKeh Records, cutting a number of bawdy blues like Mean Tight Mama. She continued recording until 1928. During this time, Martin became a popular performer on the southern Theater Owners Booking Association circuits, eventually playing theaters and clubs on the east coast as well. In the early 30s, Sara Martin retired from blues singing and settled in her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. While she was in Louisville, she ran a nursing home and occasionally sang gospel in church. Sara Martin died after suffering a stroke in 1955.