Thomas Martin

November 15, 1942 – June 27, 2020

In loving memory of Thomas Martin, who passed away one year ago: Chicago-born Air Force veteran and longtime Bay Area-based singer/songwriter, performing artist, and expert sound/recording engineer.

In a career spanning more than fifty years he played venues throughout the Bay Area, including the Drinking Gourd, Purple Onion, Holy City Zoo, the Gas Works, Freight and Salvage, Jack London Village, Oakland Aviation Museum and Armando’s Martinez. He performed solo engagements, duos as one half of Tom and Lee, and shared stages and collaborated with artists including Marty Balin, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Odetta, Bola Sete, Kate Wolf, the Youngbloods and others. His appearances on the islands of Kauai and Oahu inspired a deep dive into and love for Hawaiian music.

A dedicated recording artist with early productions for Fantasy Records and Runway 5, Thomas produced five albums of his original songs on his BigWholeSounds label, as well as producing and engineering recordings by a host of Bay Area musicians. He enjoyed mixing optimal sound in live performance, especially during his years as chief sound engineer at Armando’s.

When not making music, Thomas was a builder – designing and creating decks, stairways, stages and other structures. He had a keen sense of how things worked, and enjoyed helping people repair and restore anything from instruments and electronics to cars and kitchens. Thomas is survived by his wife, Georgia Rowe, sister Tracy Gillespie, children Samantha Heizman and Alex Robbins, and a large extended family of friends, relatives, and fellow musicians. His music, and his kindness, are greatly missed.