Big City Thoughts - Issue #10

Page 29

At the young age of eight, Martin was

Craigslist ads to find his band members

diagnosed with a virus that attacked his

and started the Jacob Martin Country band.

spinal cord called Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

Soon enough, the group was off to Nashville

After a long battle with doctors thinking

to be closer to the music business. “When

that he was faking it and not being able to

I was in Minneapolis doing this pop/rock

figure out what was actually wrong with

thing and I heard this country music that

him, he was given a wheelchair and told that he would never walk again. As Martin struggled with no longer being able to actively play with his friends and his brother, he turned to music. He performed at community talent shows and local fairs to show off his new passion. His mom taught him how to play some chords on the guitar and it all started from there. After a year in the wheelchair, Jacob worked as hard as he could at physical therapy and miraculously learned to walk again. “I believe that my higher power has always had a plan for me,” said Martin. Jacob Martin’s music taste is all over the map. He enjoys everything from Garth Brooks to U2 to Panic at the Disco. At age 16, Jacob started to play in rock bands with his older brother who plays guitar as well. Hailing from Iowa, Martin also traveled to Chicago to sing in an alternative band. Eventually, Martin felt like he had come full circle. This was when he put out some

ISSUE 10, JUNE 2017 | 29


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