Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' Features a Shout Out to Linda Martell — Who Is She?

When Beyoncé revealed a country jamboree tribute poster to announce the tracklist Cowboy Carter, the project's country ties became even clearer. The artwork included references to Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton — and Linda Martell, a name that might only resonate with country scholars.

While not a star on the scale of the other names on Beyoncé's list, Martell, now 82, has made a significant mark on country music. Released in 1970, her only album, Color Me Country, was the first major release by a black female artist in the country. A blend of honky-tonk spunk and heartbreaking balladry, all steeped in her gospel and R&B roots, the album spawned three country hits and led to Martell becoming the first black female country artist to play the Grand Ole Opry. During that time, he also appeared on the country's hugely popular syndicated variety show Confusion and shared stages with country artists such as Hank Snow and Waylon Jennings.

These may not seem like huge wins in the context of 2024, but back then, Martell's mere presence was historic. Although Nashville had previously welcomed a small number of black artists, including Charley Pride, Martell was one of the first women of color to enter the scene. But as he said Rolling rock in an exclusive interview in 2020, he also paid the price on many levels.

Here's what you need to know about a pioneer who helped create the pitch Cowboy Carter.

Martell did not start in the country at all.
The daughter of a sharecropper, Martell was born Thelma Bynem and grew up in Leesville, South Carolina, which was so segregated that it had separate churches for whites and blacks. With a sister and cousin, she formed a Southern girl group, the Anglos (later Angelos), who recorded several singles for small labels.

The songs were not hits and the group disbanded, but a local businessman heard her sing country songs during a concert at an Air Force base and offered to finance a demo tape. Martell was soon introduced to Nashville label owner and producer Shelby Singleton Jr., who suggested she ditch pop for country (and become, in effect, the female Charley Pride). “I looked at him, like, 'Really?'” Martel recalled RS in 2020. “I was a little shocked! I mostly did pop. But he said, “You must go to the country.” She was also taken back when she learned the name of the label that would be releasing her music: Plantation Records. Although the name troubled her, Martell felt she had no choice but to sign with them.

Color Me Country had a promising start, but her career in Nashville was shockingly short.
As much as Martell broke a glass ceiling in the countryside, her moment would prove fleeting. She moved to Nashville, but on the road, she endured occasional taunts from country fans who weren't used to seeing her black woman on stage, singing country songs. As Martel said RSfelt he couldn't shout anyone down: “When you're playing to an all-white audience — because Lord Jesus, they is biased — you learn not to say much.'

Offended when Singleton and company turned their focus to white country pop singer Genie C. Riley, Martell parted ways with Plantation. She attempted to record for another label, but claimed she had been “blacked out” (her tenure) as a result of the split with Singleton.

Her career never recovered from this setback.
Over the next two decades, Martell returned to South Carolina and played clubs and bars, sang on a cruise ship in California and even ran a record store in the Bronx, New York. In the 90s, she had once again returned to South Carolina, where, to support herself, she drove a bus for the Batesburg-Leesville school district. He sang periodically, sometimes in a local band called Eazzy, but as he said RS in 2020, she does not recall ever singing her country material with this group. The door was closed.

Several years ago, Linda Martell was not easy to find.
when Rolling rock went in search of Martell in 2019, all roads did not immediately lead to her. He had no remaining music industry contracts. The record label that had recently reissued Color Me Country on CD had licensed the music from a larger conglomerate and had no direct contact with it. they didn't even know if it was yet live.

RS he only learned that Martell was a bus driver in South Carolina thanks to a newspaper interview she gave in the '90s to help promote a Black country music compilation. Since Martell had long since retired by 2019-20, a Batesburg-Leesville city official didn't know she lived there until after contacting RS. After asking around and finding people who remembered a school worker named “Thelma,” the clerk located a phone number for a family member and gave it to us.

In recent years, Martell has finally begun to collect its due.
Now 82, Martell still lives in South Carolina with her family, who were equally amazed by Cowboy Carter track reveal: “Seeing my grandma's name on a Beyoncé post is absolutely crooks!” Martell's granddaughter Quia Thompson posted. In recent years, Thompson has been working on a documentary about Martell, Bad Case of the Country Blues, raising money for it through a GoFundMe campaign. Maren Morris, who gave Martell a voice at the 2020 CMAs, donated $5,000 and CMT gave $10,000.

Morris isn't the only name that has been giving Martell props lately. Country artist Rissi Palmer's podcast, Color Me Country, named after Martell's album. At the 2021 CMT Awards, Martell received an Equal Play Award for artists who “use their platform to advocate for change in the music industry.” During this ceremony, Rhiannon Giddens (who plays in Cowboy Carter), Darius Rucker (who built his own country career after Hootie and the Blowfish) and New Black country artist Mickey Guyton paid tribute to Martell. With Cowboy CarterBeyoncé now joins that list.