Danville musical legend earns spot in Hall of Fame

If Janis Martin is in rockabilly heaven, you know she has a helluva band.

Martin, the late Danville-area native who gained worldwide fame as the “Rockabilly Queen” and the “Female Elvis,” was posthumously inducted into Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History Hall of Fame Sunday. Sharon Hughes, the museum’s former education coordinator and exhibitor of Danville Roots Music: A Historical Perspective, gave the induction certificate to Wayne Whitt, who was married to Martin for about 30 years.

“Words can’t express the feeling,” Whitt said about receiving the certificate on behalf of his late wife. “It’s such a wonderful thing.”

Martin is also being celebrated as part of the museum’s Danville Roots Music exhibit on display in the Jennings Gallery through Aug. 24. It features a historical perspective of music in the Danville area, highlighting blues, rockabilly, bluegrass and gospel music. Also featured is an exhibit, New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music, from the Smithsonian Institution.

Hughes said she nominated Martin for the recognition because of her world renown and her talent.

“Her music speaks for itself,” Hughes said.

Criteria for the museum’s Hall of Fame include Danville-area natives who work in the community and achieve national recognition that reflects well on the city, Hughes said.

The Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History Hall of Fame was established in 1974. Martin is the 17th person to be inducted into it.

Fans and family recalled not only a gifted performer, but a down-to-earth person who loved life.

“She was very humble,” Martin’s sister-in-law Bootsie Whitt said.

Wayne Whitt said his most memorable time with Martin was during her 1982 performance at the international Rock ’n’ Roll Festival in Holland. He remembers marveling at the adulation the

fans showed Martin.

Musician Bryce Luffman said he had been a fan of Martin’s since 1950 when he was 9 years old — a year younger than Martin.

“It was just amazing how she was on the radio already,” Luffman said.

The two became friends and later performed together at the Danville Golf Club in 2006.

Martin was born in Sutherlin in 1940 and started her musical career at the age of 11 on the WDVA Barndance in Danville. She went on to join Richmond’s Old Dominion Barn Dance and have her own show in WHEE in Martinsville. She signed on with RCA in 1956 and released a record, “Will You Willyum,” with a composition of her own, “Drugstore Rock ’n’ Roll.” The record sold 750,000 copies.

She became recognized as the “Female Elvis” and Presley was once so taken with one of her performances in Miami he sent her a dozen red roses.

She was voted “Most Promising Female Artist of 1956” by the annual disc jockey convention for the Billboard Magazine Award and appeared on American Bandstand, The Today Show and The Tonight Show. She also performed at the Grand Ole Opry.

Martin died of cancer on Sept. 3, 2007.

• Contact John R. Crane at jcrane@registerbee.com or (434) 791-7987.