Martha Redbone facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Martha Redbone
Background information
Born	New York City
Origin	New York City, New York, and Kentucky, United States
Genres	Rhythm and Blues, Folk and Soul
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, composer
Years active	1996–present
Labels	Dome Records

Martha Redbone is an American singer and songwriter. She is famous for creating music that mixes Rhythm and blues (R&B), soul, and traditional Native American sounds. Her unique style celebrates her diverse family background.

Martha Redbone performing at the Vision Festival in 2024.

Early Life and Family Roots

Martha Redbone was born in New York City. She also spent a lot of her childhood with her grandparents in Harlan County, Kentucky. This region, known as Appalachia, deeply influenced her music.

Redbone's family has a rich and mixed heritage. Her mother's family came from the mountains of Kentucky and Virginia. They had Cherokee, Shawnee, and Choctaw roots. Her father was an African-American from North Carolina. The name "Redbone" is a historical term from the American South for people with both Native American and African-American ancestry.

Music and Career Highlights

Martha Redbone creates music that honors both her Black American and Native American heritage. She learned about songwriting and music production from Junie Morrison. Morrison was a famous musician from the funk bands Ohio Players and Parliament Funkadelic.

Award-Winning Music

In 2007, Redbone's album Skintalk won an Independent Music Award for Best R&B Album. This showed how her special blend of music was celebrated by critics and fans.

Another important project was her 2012 album, The Garden of Love – Songs of William Blake. On this album, she turned the poems of the famous English poet William Blake into songs. The music was inspired by the folk sounds of Appalachia, mixing English, African-American, and Native American styles.

Composing for the Stage

Redbone is also a talented composer for theater. She and her husband, Aaron Whitby, wrote new music for a famous play. The play was called "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered ... When the Rainbow is Enuff."

Their music was first used in a 2019 production at the Public Theater. In 2022, the show moved to Broadway with their score. For their amazing work, Redbone and Whitby won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music in a Play.

Today, she tours across the country with her group, the Martha Redbone Roots Project.

Personal Life

Martha Redbone is married to her musical partner, Aaron Whitby. They have one son together.

Discography

Here are some of Martha Redbone's albums:

• Home of the Brave (2001)
• Skintalk (2004)
• Future Street (2006)
• The Garden of Love – Songs of William Blake (2012)