Martin Ray

Born and raised in a small Oklahoma oil town, Martin Ray’s apprenticeship began at his father’s side. From pre-school through high school, he was learning the work and absorbing the rhythm of the industry long before entering it as an adult.

He spent twenty years in the oilfield, working his way from roustabout and pumper into management. That earned progression informs the stories he writes today.

His vocal roots were formed in Southern Gospel harmony. Gene Bartlett once noted his “phenomenal ability to blend,” affirming his instincts for harmony and arrangement. In high school, he sang in a Christian group that included Joe Diffie — then simply “Joey.” Singing was as natural as breathing. It was part of daily life.

Today, Martin writes country-leaning Americana — mid-tempo, warm, and direct — grounded in lived experience and shaped by disciplined harmony.