Singer/songwriter Martin Sexton loves '70s pop, especially when it's steeped in soul music.
"I was raised listening to the radio," Sexton said during a telephone interview from Florida. "But I especially took to Stevie Wonder. That album, `Songs in the Key of Life,' really hooked me. I just fell in love with the album."Sexton will play the University of Utah Fine Arts Auditorium on Friday, Nov. 20. The music will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available in advance for $12 in Salt Lake City at Acoustic Music, Local Music, all Graywhale CDs, Salt City CDs, Intermountain Guitar & Banjo and Dan's Foods. Tickets can also be purchased at Dan's Foods in Park City and Toonz Guitar & Sound in Provo. Tickets will also be available at the door for $15.
Sexton also drew on the music tastes of his other brothers and sisters.
"They were into the Beatles," he said. "I really love `Abbey Road.' And I liked Fleetwood Mac and Peter Frampton."
Still, Sexton found his niche when he moved out and went to Boston, where he played his acoustic folk music on street corners. There, he managed to gain a loyal fan base, and he discovered a way to keep tabs on his fans.
"I had a mailing list in my guitar case," Sexton said. "And I would sell cassettes I made. So people would either drop in a tip, sign the mailing list or buy a tape."
Sexton used that mailing list and sent postcards to his fans, telling them where his next gig would be. He did subways, street corners, open microphone gigs and even living rooms in Cambridge. He recorded his independent debut album, "Black Sheep," on Eastern Front records.
When he got one of his first gigs as an opening act, he found that a majority of fans in the line that circled the venue were there just to see him. "We ended up adding a second show."
Sexton recently signed with Atlantic Records and released his latest album, "The American."