James Martin had a singing voice that was hard to ignore.
“He had a voice that kinda got next to you when he sang,” said Johnny Holmes, a friend for more than 30 years. “He had a voice filled with spirit.”
Mr. Martin sang lead and tenor for various gospel groups in the metro Atlanta area, including the Holy Lights, the Gospel Tones and the Zion Gospel Singers.
“He was a very good singer and he wasn’t afraid to learn a new song,” said Mr. Holmes, who sang with the Gospel Tones. “We’d stay in the basement practicing until 1- or 2-o’clock in the morning, trying to get a song right.”
Many who performed with Mr. Martin appreciated him for his calm demeanor, said George Middlebrooks, who also sang with the Tones.
“He was the guy who tried to settled arguments,” Mr. Middlebrooks said. “He was a real nice, kind guy.”
More than 40 years ago, it was Mr. Martin’s singing that caught the ear of Lonette Hair. It wasn’t long before he’d won her heart and they were married, she said.
“He had the most beautiful voice I’d ever heard,” said Lonette Hair Martin, his wife of 32 years.
Mr. Martin loved to sing and would sing anywhere, anytime. But his deteriorating health caused him to stop singing, Mr. Holmes said.
“It hurt him pretty good when he couldn’t do it anymore,” his friend said. “We’d always say, sing while you can because you never know when you won’t be able to.”
James Alvin Martin had endured several health challenges, including multiple heart attacks, since the late 1980s, Mrs. Martin said. He died Nov. 23 after a period of pulmonary distress. He was 74. A funeral service has been planned for 1 p.m. Thursday at the Historic West End Chapel of Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home, which is also in charge of arrangements. The body will be cremated following the service, Mrs. Martin said.
Before his health began to decline, Mr. Martin owned and operated Martin’s Paint & Body Shop in southwest Atlanta. It was after he was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also known as COPD, and he suffered his first heart attack, that he had to close his business. From there, he took his talents to the kitchen, family and friends said.
The kitchen in the Martin household was Mr. Martin’s domain, his wife said.
“He called it his kitchen,” she said with a laugh. “One day, he wasn’t feeling well, so I cooked because I can cook, too. I thought I put everything back like I found it, but the next day he said I didn’t.”
Mrs. Martin said her husband prided himself on having dinner ready for her when she came home from work.
“Or if he was going to fry something, he’d wait until I got home and do it so the food would be hot,” she said. “It was wonderful. He was wonderful.”
Mr. Martin is also survived by daughters, Dwon Byrdsong of Covington, Tequila Barfield of Covington, Carla Benton of East Point, Tammi Bowen of Atlanta and Jannette Martin of Mableton; sons, Anthony Martin of Decatur and Roderick Martin of Covington; 19 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and 2 great-great-grandchildren.
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