John Martyn

John Martyn is the stagename of Ian David McGeachy. Martyn was born on September 11, 1948 in New Malden, Surrey, England.

His parents divorced when he was five; Martyn spent his childhood alternating between England and Scotland. His professional musical career began when he was 17; a blend of blues and folk resulting in a unique style that made him a key figure in the London folk scene during the mid-1960s. He signed to Chris Blackwell[?]'s Island Records in 1967 and released his first album, London Conversation[?], the following year.

This first album was soon followed by The Tumbler which was moving towards jazz. By 1970 Martyn had developed a wholly original and idiosyncratic sound: acoustic guitar run through a fuzzbox, phase-shifter, and Echoplex. This sound was first apparent on 1970s Stormbringer, which also had Martyn's wife, Beverley Kutner[?], as his collaborator. She also appeared on Road to Ruin[?].

In 1973, Martyn was to release one of the defining British albums of the 1970s, Solid Air[?], the title song a tribute to the singer-songwriter, Nick Drake, who was later to commit suicide in 1974. On this album, as with the one which preceded it, Bless the Weather[?], Martyn collaborated with jazz bass player, Danny Thompson[?].

His steady output has gained him considerable recognition as a performer and a songwriter.