Song:King Tut
Album:A Wild And Crazy Guy
Back in the 70s when Steve Martin was mainly known as a comedian, music was a big part of his show. In 1978 he scored a top twenty pop hit with the novelty single King Tut after he performed it on Saturday Night Live. Today Martin is a serious bluegrass musician. He doesn't do comedy anymore. He was born Aug. 14, 1945 in Waco, TX. and he grew up in Inglewood, CA. Martin started playing the banjo while he was in high school. He is very close friends with Nitty Gritty Dirt Band leader John McEuen whose brother William McEuen is Martin's manager. Martin got into comedy writing for the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Then he got into standup and started having success in the mid 70s. In those days the barometer for success for comics was an appearance on The Tonight Show. And Martin's 1975 appearance on The Tonight Show led to hosting Saturday Night Live (SNL). That show made him so popular that he guest hosted SNL fifteen times. And that led to a record deal with Warner Bros. through William McEuen's Aspen Recording Society. A lot of Martin's SNL shtick became very popular. King Tut reached #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978. The album A Wild And Crazy Guy was certified 2XPlatinum. At the time there was a King Tut touring exhibit. Martin decided to parody that. And his SNL performance featuring a sax solo by SNL band member Lou Marini is what made it a hit. Not long after that Martin got into movies and he made his final comedy album in 1981. A Wild And Crazy Guy is available as a budget CD. Martin always played the banjo as part of his comedy act. But in recent years he's gotten seriously into bluegrass. He currently tours and records with his band Steep Canyon Rangers. He even recorded a bluegrass cover of King Tut on the 2011 album Rare Bird Alert. He's really good so I may look at his music later. Here's Steve Martin performing King Tut on Saturday Night Live 1978. This video is not on Youtube probably for copyright reasons.
I loved some of his comedy bits and he was very good at it. But I have always heard and I did see him do a bit with his banjo that he is very good and talented with the banjo and his big love is Bluegrass music. This I have know for some time. I also have been told there is still a lot of loyal fans of Bluegrass out there. So I wish him the very best. David.
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