Features
Life as the HeadHunters' No. 1 fan
GLASGOW — His dad refers to him as a “road-dog” and Richard Young calls him, “the band’s mascot.” Erik Martin simply thinks of himself as the “number one fan” of the local country rockers, The Kentucky HeadHunters. Erik has proved the accuracy of these terms by his many journeys through the years with the Grammy Award-winning musicians.
“Yeah, no one knows us better than him,” his dad says with a nod.
Erik, the son of Greg and Ruth Martin of Glasgow, is also known for his uncanny ability to remember seemingly insignificant facts from his experiences. Perhaps this is a gift from his autism.
“Sometimes when the rest of us can’t even remember our middle names,” Richard observes, “Erik can tell us where we were and what we were doing on a given date. Why, if the military knew of him, they’d probably want to use him as a secret weapon.”
As I share lunch with the Martins, Erik reminds me that he was once a student in my wife’s nursery school class. He’s 26 now, so you can figure how long that’s been. As he discusses those long-ago classes, he even comments on a particular day when a substitute teacher taught the class.
I’m told that he enjoys keeping up with his friends on facebook. He suggests I list his link, and here it is: www.facebook.com/people/James-Erik-Martin/1840663523
Then he talks about traveling to gigs with the HeadHunters. He recalls his first trip (Anderson, Ind., where he got to “watch everybody”) and his favorite trip (Rossville, Ga., where he “loved the carnival rides”). He says he’s not sure where he’s going next, but he’s ready.
“Any trips you didn’t like?” I ask.
He’s quick to respond with a “no” even though he’s busy eating.
His mom says, “He likes to get away from home and the routine. I understand that. He loves to travel.”
His dad adds, “I love having him with me. Erik’s just a joy. The other guys love him, too.”
The “other guys” these days include Doug Phelps and Fred and Richard Young. Erik tells me they also travel with a guitar tech, merchandise salesman, a sound man, and road manager Scott Keys. Assuming somebody is driving the bus, that must make ten or so when Erik is aboard.
“How do you pass the time on the bus during these road trips?”
“Dad searches on his laptop. We watch movies. Sometimes we sleep on the bus, but I like to stay up late. Fred stays up late, too.”
“Who’s the rowdiest of the group?” I wonder.
Without missing a beat, Erik responds, “Richard.”
Richard’s side of that is this: “Erik is very focused on me because at times I can use the wrong kind of language and he will say, ‘Now Richard, don’t you say that again.’ I used to give him a quarter every time he caught me. Finally I had to stop or go broke.”
As he finishes his barbeque chicken, Erik recalls meeting other musicians during outings with his dad. He enjoyed talking with Toby Keith about the “How Do You Like Me Now” video. He has been impressed with the Confederate Railroad group. “We’ve seen them a lot and known them since they started.” His impression of Patty Loveless is that “She can be shy, kinda quiet.”
Erik tells me about the new release coming our later this month from the HeadHunters. It seems it’s actually a live album from a performance in Cleveland, Ohio, on May 13, 1990.
I don’t ask him, but I suspect Erik could tell me the back story of the HeadHunters and that trip almost 20 years ago. He is, after all, the group’s number one fan.
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