Mary Martin, Former Manager For Vince Gill, Passes Away

Mary Martin, a Grammy Award-winning music industry veteran who worked with Bob Dylan and as the manager for Vince Gill—among many others—has passed away. She was 85 years old.

The news was first shared by Martin’s family and friends and distributed more widely by The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

“Time and again, Mary Martin spotted great talents and elevated their careers,” Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, commented in a statement.

“Early on, she connected Bob Dylan to her friends, the Hawks, who became the Band. She managed Leonard Cohen in his first musical outings, then guided the budding solo careers of Van Morrison, Rodney Crowell and Vince Gill.”

Young’s statement continued, “At Warner Bros., she signed future Country Music Hall of Fame member Emmylou Harris, at RCA she helped sign and develop Clint Black and Lorrie Morgan, and she encouraged a young Keith Urban to move from Australia to Nashville.

“Mary’s unerring feel for songs and performers was legendary, and she was a fierce ally for the artists she represented.”

Music Row reports that Martin began her career in 1962 as the Executive Assistant to Artist Manager Albert Grossman, who was managing the careers of Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, and Peter, Paul & Mary.

Two years later, Martin entered the music industry solo and managed Leonard Cohen and Van Morrison’s early careers. Upon joining Warner Bros. in 1972, she ended up signing Emmylou Harris, Leon Redbone, and The Marshall Tucker Band.

In the late 1970s, Martin returned to artist management and worked with Rodney Crowell and Vince Gill. She even tried music production, teaming up with Crowell and offering production assistance for artists like Rosanne Cash, Albert Lee, and others.

Upon moving back to Nashville in 1985, Martin became Vice President of RCA Records and again worked with Vince Gill, as well as Clint Black and Lorrie Morgan.

As mentioned above, Martin was even a Grammy Award winner, taking home an award for working on the Hank Williams tribute album Timeless in 2002.

In 2009, the Country Music Hall of Fame honoured Martin as part of the Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum.