Moon Martin


John David "Moon" Martin was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.

Early years

Born in Altus, Oklahoma, United States, he was originally a rockabilly artist as a member of the Oklahoma-based band The Disciples, who moved to Los Angeles and adopted the name Southwind in 1967. At this time, their style shifted towards country rock. Southwind released three studio albums before disbanding in 1971. They enjoyed moderate success, with two of their singles charting nationally: "Ready to Ride" and "Boogie Woogie Country Girl".

Peak of success

Martin gained recognition in the 1970s as a pop artist and composer. He wrote the songs "Bad Case of Loving You ", made famous by the English singer Robert Palmer, and "Cadillac Walk", made famous by the American singer Willy DeVille.
Martin scored five minor hits of his own with "Rolene", "No Chance", both in 1979, "Signal for Help" in 1981, "X-Ray Vision", and "Aces With You" both in Australia in 1982. His 1982 song, "X-Ray Vision" was an MTV hit music video. He allegedly was given the nickname "Moon" because many of his songs had the word "moon" in the lyrics.
On October 31, 2022, Midnight Moon, a posthumous album, was released, only available on several music streaming services.

Death

Martin died on May 11, 2020, of natural causes in Encino, California, at the age of 74.

Discography

Studio albums

Live album

  • ''Bad News Live''

    Compilation albums

  • The Very Best Of
  • Shots from a Cold Nightmare + Escape from Domination
  • ''Street Fever + Mystery Ticket''

    Singles