from the shenandoah interview with Marty Raybon

Marty Raybon was the lead singer in the wildly popular country group Shenandoah. They had a string of hits, such as ‘Two Dozen Roses,’ ‘Church on Cumberland Road,’ and ‘Somewhere in the Valley of the Heart.’ In 1997, Marty split from the group to pursue a solo career. Five successful albums later, Marty has distinguished himself as a hitmaker with a growing fan base.
Marty’s vocal skills have been praised by colleagues such as Gary LeVox, lead vocalist of Rascal Flatts, who said, “Marty is the greatest singer on the planet to this day.” John Turner lauded Marty by saying, “When you listen to Marty sing, he makes every word sound important and like he is singing straight to you. I love everything he has done. He’s a great singer, a great artist, and a great man.”
Marty’s handsome presence has also helped him sell his solo act to country fans. He’s blessed with the whole package, hunky looks, great voice, and he knows how to work a crowd. His tenure with Shenandoah gained Marty a massive following, but when he went solo, he touched many more folks with his passionate vocal delivery and charisma.
Marty chatted with EU about his career as a respected country artist. His friendly Southern charm and cordial manner made my job as interviewer a pleasure.
“I’m staying busy and working as much as I can stand. When I was with Shenandoah, we toured most all year, around 310 dates a year. That was just too much and I decided I needed to balance my career with quality time with my family.”
A Florida native, Marty currently lives in Alabama.
“Lately, I’ve been performing at bluegrass festivals and other outdoor events. I like the pace I’m touring today.”
One such festival is the St. Augustine Lions Seafood & Music Festival. Marty is playing during the peak of the festival on Saturday night. The event will also have an arts and crafts show, seafood of every possible preparation, and plenty of other music. The weekend will be capped on Sunday night with a performance by Valerie Smith of Liberty Pike. Other performers at the festival include Southern Lite featuring Ernie Evans, Katherine Archer, The Time Travelers and Dynamic Country. These artists are sure to be a family-friendly bunch.
“My faith keeps me going and I try to instill that faith in my children. At 48, I’ve come to terms with my career and balancing it with my quality family time.”
Marty is proud of his new album, Country, which has been selling well.
“Audiences like the songs, so that stimulates CD sales,” he said.
I enjoyed the songs on his album tremendously. What they say is true, Marty delivers his songs with emotionally charged voice that makes it seem like he is singing only to you.
See for yourself when he performs at the festival on Saturday March 8th.