Many Americans and people in other countries have heard of or know something about Steve Martin, primarily through his films. What they may not realize is now, in his early 70s, his career is mostly directed toward his musical endeavors as a banjo player and song writer.
His love of banjo and banjo music was instilled in him at the early age of sixteen. “I loved the sound of the banjo when I first heard it, Martin said, “ It affected me like no other instrument.” He was influenced by recordings of people who played the banjo like the Kingston Trio, Pete Seeger, and Earl Scruggs.
Martin had little formal musical training and was virtually self-taught, even though he had some instruction from other musicians. The banjo is not a soft-sounding or subdued instrument, consequently when Martin was just getting started the loud sound was not welcomed in the house. He eventually practiced at night in his car—he rolled up the windows so the sound would be confined, otherwise it could be heard in the neighborhood.
As he progressed on the banjo he received advice and counsel by prominent people in the music industry. One was John McEuen, who played banjo in The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. In the early 70s Martin did his comedy routine as the opening act for them.
Others who helped him were Pete Seeger, Peter Wernick, Marc Johnson and Earl Scruggs. All contributed to his knowledge of playing technique; each sharing valuable pieces of information that helped Martin improve and develop his musicianship.
The early years of Martin’s career were dominated by being a stand-up comedian. His first appearance on television was The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in 1968. He first publicly played the banjo as part of his comedy act. He told jokes and actually made fun of the banjo. He played short pieces that he interspersed into his act and developed some routines around his playing.
The years went by and his comedy act became more and more infused with his banjo playing. He eventually turned his performance into a full concert with a little comedy as a sidelight. Martin retired as a full-time-stand-up comedian and went “full-bore” into his music career.
On his last comedy album he featured his stand-up comedy routine on one side and on the other side a bluegrass band with him playing banjo.
In the early 2,000s his banjo playing career really took off. Earl Scruggs, who is considered a guru of banjo music, remade Foggy Mountain Breakdown. Martin was invited to play banjo on the recording and it was the winner of the Best Country Instrumental Performance category at the Grammy Awards in 2002.
Martin was honored to be on the Grand Ole Opry in 2009. Later in that same year he played with The Steep Canyon Rangers on Garrison Keillor’s famous show, Prairie Home Companion. This began a two-month tour with the Rangers. On the tour the group played at Carnegie Hall in New York and many music festivals in other cities, including London, England.
Later he appeared with the Scruggs band on several occasions. Martin’s first all music album, The Crow, was released in 2009 with Dolly Parton as the featured singer. The album won the Grammy in 2010 for the best bluegrass album.
His playing technique included both three-finger and clawhammer (flailing) banjo. Clawhammer is played without picks. It is played with the thumb and back of the fingernail to produce the tune or melody. “I love both styles and I am so glad I forged ahead and learned them,” said Martin, “When I’m writing I often compose on the clawhammer banjo as I get a better chord feel.”
Martin has worked with many famous musicians and performers besides the legendary Earl Scruggs. Some were: Irish singer, Mary Black, Paul McCartney, The Dixie Chicks, Dolly Parton, and Edie Brickell, who wrote and sings the lyrics of many of Martins songs. At one time he and Brickell wrote thirteen songs together.
Because of his comedic talent he also was a favorite of comedy roles in films. This is where most people became aware of Martin’s inherent talent for comedy and his following and popularity as a bona fide movie star followed. He made quite a few films over the years and almost all of them were considered successful. 
Martin’s film career spanned over three decades. He acted and even wrote some of the films in which he appeared. Many of his films were comedies and some were serious dramatic roles. He wanted to be known for more than comedy parts. He starred with many “big names” in his film career.
A few of his most notable films were “Three Amigos,” co-staring Saturday Night Live regulars, Martin Short and Chevy Chase. In the film, “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” Martin was joined by John Candy and John Hughes. The film, “Roxanne,” Martin co-wrote and for it received the Writers Guild of America Award. He was very proud of this award as it gave him critical acclaim for being more than a comic actor.
In “Parenthood,” a film by Ron Howard, Martin co-starred with Rick Moranis. The comedy “LA Story” co-starred his then wife, Victoria Tennant. Other notable films include: “Father of the Bride,” “Housesitter,” with Goldie Hawn and Dana Delany, Neil Simon’s, “The Out-of-Towners,” “Cheaper by the Dozen,” “The Pink Panther,” “The Jerk,” with Bernadette Peters and in “It’s Complicated,” he was joined by Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin.
Martin is obviously a big box office draw. An article in The Guardian mentioned that “Martin is one of the best actors never to receive an Oscar nomination.”
In 2011 a PBS documentary titled, “Give Me the Banjo,” featured Martin as narrator. It told the history of the banjo in America.
He has championed banjo playing, bluegrass music and American roots music in general. Martin has established a prize, “Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass,” that he awards annually to a very deserving player
When tracing Steve Martin’s career through stand-up comedian, sought after actor, accomplished writer, big-time talented banjo player, composer and bluegrass exponent, it is easy to see why he is truly a man for all seasons.
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