NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Reuters) — Benny Martin, a fiddler and song writer who teamed with country music legends Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, has died, his family said Thursday. He was 72.
Martin was critically acclaimed for his fiddling on the Flatt and Scruggs record "Dear Old Dixie" and played with the late bluegrass king Bill Monroe as well as with Roy Acuff before becoming an integral part of the Flatt and Scruggs "Foggy Mountain Boys."
He performed on the Grand Ole Opry in the 1940s and recorded for the Pioneer Records label in 1946. Known for his rhythmic fiddling style, Martin also sang, played guitar and wrote songs such as "Me and My Fiddle" and "Ice Cold Love."