"And they ain't gonna bury me while I'm still livin'... Ain't gonna shut me up 'til my story's been told... I don't need no parades... I don't need no forgivin'... I just need to know... I ain't here alone..."[ "I Ain't Here Alone" (c) 1982 M.J. Martin ]

Michael J. Martin's music is best described as "Americana". It contains elements of Folk, Country, Jazz, Blues, Gospel, Rock & Roll... even his own brand of Rap. "Whatever suits the song or the situation," he says. He punctuates his sets with classic favorites, but the emphasis is on the original. He is a songwriter's songwriter.

The legendary Donovan once said that MJM could "turn a phrase as well as anyone I've ever heard." His albums are a record of his life. From his first album, "WINDMILL", in 1980, to "TAKE ME A RIDE ON THE MOON" (a "horse opry" inspired by Larry McMurtry's LONESOME DOVE ) to the 1998 CD, "SKYLINE", the songs evoke the sound of the wind and the stark images of the plains and are delivered with the direct manner and dry humor so characteristic of the West.

That humor is most evident on "OFF THE WALL SONGS", a compilation of hilarious tunes, including the juke box standard, "How Can I Get You Off My Mind?" "SKYLINE", the new C.D., represents a new beginning for Michael J. Martin. The songs reflect "a certain maturity... Post Traumatic Stress Disorder meets Mid-Life Crisis," he says. The formula is essentially the same: moving, personal songs like, "Dangerous World" and "Almost Last Call at the Ol' Ponderosa"... hilarious, self-effacing diddies like, "Bald-Headed Guy" and "Every Day That I Get Older"... compelling, socially relevant numbers like, "Unknown Soldier" and "Draw The Line Again". In "The Eagle Has Landed", reprised from an earlier album, the ever hopeful, but still realistic, Michael J. Martin philosophy is poignantly posed: "The difference we make... may be just what it takes... maybe we will prevail..." "SKYLINE", rekindles the fire and inspires us to carry on. "Draw The Line Again", has been adopted as the theme song for a national literacy campaign and is being heard on radio stations across the country. He may be performing solo these days, but, by now, he must know that he "ain't here alone".

In 1997, Martin led The Last Patrol, now reinforced by veterans of the Gulf War, on a month long, 900 mile march from Florida to DC. His songs have been recorded and performed by numerous other artists, including: Larry Mahan, Side of the Road Gang, Bowley & Wilson, Freddie Grant, The Cumberlands, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Jim & Anne Weaver, Steve Nichols, Chuck Price, James Michael Taylor, Bob & Sally Ackerman, and Britt Small & Festival.