Marty Rigby

The bars of the Texas Gulf Coast were the musical proving ground for Blue Pie Records Artist Marty Rigby's voice and guitar. He worked these venues as singer/songwriter and band leader performing for the blue collar masses the songs recognized by the shrimpers, bikers and refinery workers in the ports along the Third Coast. Whether it was songs by B.B. King, Crosby, Stills, Nash or his own compositions, Marty delivered each one with power and heart.
As a child, the songs of Motown and the British Invasion blasted through his Transistor 8 Radio in the '60's and built his sense of melody and form. He picked up the guitar at age six and got serious about it at age eight! He taught himself how to read sheet music that he bought from the “Five & Dime” and learned to sing and play his favorite songs. He played his first paying gig while still in high school. He was introduced to the blues and embraced the primitive heartbeat of music as he learned “The Groove”. He studied classical and jazz guitar to hone his chops and almost immediately transformed his new knowledge into uniquely original compositions of his own. He joined BMI as a songwriter in 1982 when Hacienda Records in Corpus Christi, Texas released The Little Ducks from Mars recording, “Growing Up Too Fast”.
He moved his family to Austin, Texas in 1989 hoping to focus on his original songs. He struggled to make a new start and worked as a music store manager before he found the perfect day gig. He became audio engineer and composer for Media Sound, part of Television Group a major production and advertising company. He composed music for radio, TV and video as well as performed the daily audio functions of a fully engaged production company. He edited and mixed all of the on air commercials for Willie Nelson's “Buy My Memories” releases during the same period and worked as audio engineer with Radio DJ and Producer Larry Monroe creating shows for Willie Nelson's, “Outlaw's for Peace” radio programs. These programs were broadcast worldwide on shortwave radio and featured Texas singer/songwriters like Butch Hancock, Tom Pacheco and Calvin Russell. He continued to write and perform locally with his band The Essentials during this period yet never recorded any of his own songs.
Marty toured the Netherlands with his good friend Johnny Tequila in 2000. As an acoustic blues duo they made their first appearance at the Amsterdam Blues Festival that March. They played the next 27 nights all through the Netherlands delivering the blues with a Texas growl! Back home after the tour, Marty and his kids put together a family trio called “Red” that featured his daughter Dabney (lead vocals) and his son Naiman (harmonica). They worked together until 2004 when Marty started booking live entertainment for Top of the Ritz on 6th St in Austin, Texas. He created a four piece house band for that club that included himself, his son Naiman (harmonica), James Bullard (bass guitar) and Alex the Bartender (drums).
At the end of 2009, the work on a long overdue CD of Marty's originals started taking shape. By March of 2010, Marty, Mike Gersmann (drums) and Chip Dill (bass), begin rehearsing parts for Marty's original songs. The first four songs were produced at Jumping Dog Studio in Austin, Texas with owner/engineer Ron Flynt at the helm. The results were inspirational! Marty is currently in the studio with Jay Hudson of Jay Hudson Audio producing the final tracks of his CD.

Marty just placed as a Semi Finalist in the 2011 UK Songwriting Contest with "Short Story" and was signed by Blue Pie Productions USA. Marty's new CD will be released on Blue Pie this fall.