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The Queen of Neo-Soul is honoring colleague Shaun Martin, a renowned Dallas musician battling an undisclosed illness.
By Alyssa Fields
August 1, 2024
Erykah Badu and fellow Grammy winners Norah Jones, Robert Glasper, RC Williams, Snarky Puppy and others will honor Dallas musician Shaun Martin.Andrew Sherman
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Erykah Badu is headlining a star-studded and intimate benefit show honoring Shaun Martin, a longtime collaborator, Grammy-winning composer and fellow Dallasite.
The All-Star Benefit Concert Saluting Shaun Martin, headlined by Badu, will be on Sept. 14 at the Bruton Theatre, 1309 Canton St. in downtown Dallas.
Proceeds from the event will contribute to the care of Martin as he battles an undisclosed illness. A funk artist known for his membership in Grammy-winning jazz-fusion band Snarky Puppy, Martin notably contributed to Badu’s second album, Mama’s Gun, as a student at the University of North Texas.
“Shaun is one of my dear friends,” said Martin’s Snarky Puppy bandmate, Mark Lettieri. “Beyond that, he’s such an icon to the DFW music scene. He has mentored so many young artists. He’s an absolute legend.”
The show comes off the back of Badu’s selection as, a title well-deserved for the Queen of Neo-Soul.
This year has been big for Badu in Dallas. In February, DART launched the Badu buses, a series of painted buses and trains paying homage to the artist. Days before the launch, the artist celebrated her birthday at the Factory in Deep Ellum with a slew of high-profile guest performers.
Both graduates of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Martin and Badu have deep roots in the culture of Dallas soul. Martin’s production highlights include soundtracks for Spike Lee, arrangements for David Crosby and the management of Bjork’s Bibliophilia tour.
“This is not a gig to me, it’s a celebration of our friend,” Lettieri says. “He defined the sound of this area.”
Forty-five-year-old Martin has faced unnamed health issues since last year, according to the social media of gospel legend and longtime friend Kirk Franklin. Martin won the 2007 and 2009 Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album as a producer on two of Franklin’s albums.
Texas giants and other industry leaders are scheduled to join the stage set by Badu, including Grapevine-bred Norah Jones, Houston pianist Robert Glasper, musical director Adam Blackstone, Martin’s own Snarky Puppy, a variety of popular gospel artists and others.
A Grammy-Studded Lineup
Grammy-winning producer and pianist RC Williams, whose band The Gritz is performing at the concert, has played a few concerts in honor of Martin in the past year.
click to enlarge
Shaun Martin (right) and RC Williams grew up together and went on to achieve great success as musicians.
Nate Werth
Last year, he told us he grew up with Martin and they've known each other since they were both 4 or 5 years old at Mark Twain Elementary. They later went to middle school, high school and college together.
"We've been best friends since we've known each other," Williams says, adding: "Shaun has always been a prodigy since we were kids; he's been playing piano like that since I met him. He's very humble."
Williams says Martin is the last person to brag about his seven Grammys (three with Snarky Puppy), and adds that, "All kinds of people are calling trying to check on Shaun. I've heard from Norah Jones, Robert Glasper ... the whole community across the world. Shaun is very well-known in the industry, everywhere."
Williams, Badu's musical director, also plays with Martin in the Go-Go band.
The show is produced by The Black Academy of Arts and Letters, and tickets will range from $100 to $400. The small theater, with a capacity of 1,700, will offer attendees a uniquely personal performance from the Queen of Neo-Soul and her music-royalty friends.
The Bruton Theatre is a small venue for Badu, whose 2023 “Unfollow Me” tour included stops at the American Airlines Center and Madison Square Garden. The benefit show falls between her headline performances at national jazz and funk festivals. Badu was not available for comment.
Tickets for the Sept. 14 show are available on Ticketmaster. For audiences looking for an even more special experience, meet-and-greet packages are available at the higher range of ticket prices.
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