Early Years
Eric is the son of Frederick Lee "Pepper" Martin and Iris Martin. He has three younger siblings Dan, Joan and Laurie; and is half-Irish, half-Italian.
Musically, Eric Martin was first influenced by his father, Frederick Lee “Pepper” Martin. Pepper Martin had a gig as drummer for the band “The Buzz”. This first gig would actually be an opener for Sérgio Mendes, a renowned jazz/ R&B artist in the 70s and 80s.
Martin was a drummer only for a while. Realizing it fit his personality better, he opted for the position of front man / lead vocals in the next bands he was in. He played in a handful of teen rock groups such as “S.F. Bloodshy” and “Backhome” while attending Southside High school in Southside, Alabama. He also was part of a band called “Stark Raving Mad” (which also included future Winger guitarist/keyboardist Paul Taylor) in Santa Rosa, California.
During the summer break in 1974, Martin joined a Musical Comedy Workshop held at Southside High school in Southside. He auditioned for the part of Judas, but wasn't given the part. Instead, he was the understudy.
Martin credits the honing of his voice to his teacher, Judy Davis. She taught him diction, stamina, and breath-control.
The Martin family finally settled in the San Francisco Bay Area at about 1976. Martin attended Foothill High School and met up with some of the guys who would join him in his first successful venture – the band “Kid Courage”. Kid Courage opened for AC/DC for two shows in the Bay Area, which were actually AC/DC’s first shows in America.
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