Three things you need to know about Linda Martell, the first Black woman to perform at the Grand Ole Opry

Her real name is Thelma Bynem

First, she was born Thelma Bynem on June 4, 1941, in Leesville, South Carolina. She changed her name to Linda Martell at a recommendation made by one of the local DJs who claimed she needed a catchy stage name. The DJ said she resembled a “Linda”.

Growing up, her father was a preacher. She started singing at the age of five at church, and by the age of seven, she was already cooking for her parents and four siblings. Martell and her three brothers sang with a gospel church group before she later formed a musical trio called The Anglos with one of her sisters and a cousin. The trio performed at local clubs in the late 1950s. Their first single was released in 1964 titled “A Litte Tear”. Produced by the New York-based label Fire Record, the single did not do well in sales because of poor promotion.

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Martell often performed at the Charleston Airforce Base and later became known for country music. It was during this period that she was spotted by Shelby Singleton in 1969. He signed her onto Plantation Records and in that same year, she released her glass-shattering single, “Color Him Father”. The single made it into the Top 25 that summer.