Born in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1942, Martin worked occasional summer in the mills along the Merrimack River. A self-taught musician from an early age, he traveled extensively throughout the United States while in his early twenties, occasionally playing harmonica on the street. He eventually settled in the Boston area to attend Suffolk University. It was during the sixties and Martin was greatly influenced by the Cambridge folk scene. In 1972, with the help of Chet Atkins and various Nashville studio musicians, he recorded his first album on RCA, entitled "Midwest Farm Disaster". He spent the next couple of years performing with countless artists, including Richie Havens, John Sabastian, Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, John Prine, and Odetta. But in 1974, having become disillusioned with the music industry, Martin took what money he had made from the record contract and relocated his wife and two children to their farm in West Virginia. In 1982 he recorded his second album "Last Chance Rider" on June Appal Records. The album was chosen one of the top three folk albums in the country by The National Association of Independent Record Distributors. Martin then returned to Lowell, Massachusetts and began to perform occasionally in the New England area. In 1992, he recorded his third album on CD entitled "The River Turns The Wheel", and released it through his independent label, Riversong Records, www.riversong.com. The CD reached number sixteen on the Gavin Americana Chart and was chosen one of the top ten albums in 1997 by The San Jose Mercury News. Dave Perry of The Lowell Sun chose it as the best folk album of 1997 and Tom Flannery of The Electric City News also picked it as the best CD of that year. Martin continues to perform nationally and has generated rave reviews. He opened for Merle Haggard in April of 1999 to a sold-out crowd and has developed a new generation of fans. Si Kahn called him "one of the best songwriters in the country".  Charlie Hunter in Fast Folk Magazine referred to him as "one of the best narrative songwriters in America". Arthur Wood in Folk Roots Magazine referred to Martin's CD, The River Turns The Wheel as "One of the most honest and truthful records it has been my pleasure to listen to."

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