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Biography
Gerald L. Martini (born October 1, 1942) is an American musician, best known for being the saxophonist for Sly and the Family Stone.
Early years
Martini was born in Denver, Colorado. He had an introduction to music at a very early age. At the age of 5, Martini had learned how to play the ukulele from his Hawaiian next door neighbors and would play in the neighborhood for quarters. At the age of 10 he was playing the accordion. Then at the age of 12 it was clarinet and at the age of 13 it was the sax. By the age of 15 he was playing in bars.
One band Martini was in was Joe Piazza and the Continentals. The group provided music for events such as the Twist Party, hosted by Dick Stewart. The group with Martini playing saxophone, backed the Viscaynes, recording their hit "Yellow Moon". The Continentals is also believed to be the backing group for an early Janet Ericco recording, "It Was A Lie" bw "Come Along With Me" using the pseudonym The Twilights. After leaving Joe Piazza and the Conitnentals, Martini joinedGeorge and Teddy and the Condors, an interracial cover group which was made up of two black guys in the frontline, backed by four white guys. After getting a deal from Warner Brothers, they went to Italy to increase their exposure. That didn't work for them. According to Martini, Italy hadn't moved past the twist. While playing at Rome's Club 84, The Beatles came in. They apparently liked George and Teddy and the Condors and posed with them in a photo outside. Later when Sly Stone was a disc jockey gig at KSOL, Martini approached him with an idea of forming a band.
Sly and the Family Stone
It was at Martini's suggestion that Sly and the Family Stone came about, and he became one of its key figures. He performed with the band from its inception in 1967 to its demise in 1975.In 1975, he appeared on Sly Stone's first solo album, High on You.
Outside Sly and the Family Stone
In 1977, he also performed on Larry Graham's Graham Central Station fifth album, Now Do U Wanta Dance. He was also in the band Rubicon during the late 1970s.
In 2004–2005, he helped form the tribute band FamilyStoneExperience bringing together several Family Stone alumni, including Greg Errico, Cynthia Robinson, Dawn Silva and Gail Muldrow amongst others.
In February 2017, Martini was performing with band Family Stone at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts.
In August 2019 Martini toured with Family Stone -[1]</ref>