Joan was born in Orange in 1921. Her family was musical as her grandparents came from Ireland and brought their music and dances with them. Joan spent her early years on a farm, until her father was forced off the land during the great depression. In the 1930s her family moved to the Darling Downs in Queensland. Joan was soon singing regularly on Toowoomba's 4GR Radio and acting in radio plays and appearing in pantomime. Later she met Eric Tutin, a music teacher, who in the 1930's formed the musical group, The Sundowners. Eric and Joan were both songwriters, and it was while performing with the Sundowners, Joan became the first female country singer in Australia to record for the Regal Zonophone label, as part of the Sundowners. The group was Joan Martin (vocals, guitar), Eric Tutin (accordion) and Ted McMinn (fiddle). It's believed that Joan recorded several tracks for Regal Zonophone.
In 1942 Joan retired from recording and show business and moved to Sydney to care for her family. In 1976 Dave Ovenden from the Victorian Country Music Guild persuaded Joan to come to the Tamworth festival. She was amazed that people still remember her. After 35 years out of the business, Joan released the album 'The Girl With The Darling Eyes' for her mother’s 78th birthday in 1977. She wrote the 12 songs on this album.
The following year she recorded her second album 'Home Music Days'. She was also inducted into the Tamworth Hands of Fame. She then recorded the albums, 'Pioneer Lady', 'The Search' and 'Younger Every Day'. In 1981 Joan and her daughter Ellen appeared in a television special with the Blanch family called
'The Lady and the Cowboy' which was eventually sold to US cable TV. Joan Martin has since died.
Where is Joan these days? My father knew her well through music and recordings in the Nariel Valley. As a child I danced with Joan in a tv documentary. My father is 84 and would love to reconnect. penelope.sell@hotmail.com
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