Armed with little more than a guitar, a suitcase full of heartfelt songs, and one of music's most truly stunning voices, Martin Sexton has spent the 90's winning over fans across the land and doing it the old-fashioned way. He is an uninhibited performer with renowned vocal pyrotechnics and equally impressive guitar work - whether bashing out acoustic power chords or letting fly with cool jazz swing like Wes Montgomery. A native of Syracuse, NY, Sexton absorbed the classic sounds of 70's radio, from the Beatles to Stevie Wonder to Led Zeppelin (who led him toward blues legends like Howlin' Wolf and Willie Dixon). He got his first guitar at 14, a Sears & Roebuck acoustic, and played in a couple of high school bands whose names are best forgotten. The early 80's saw Martin crooning Huey Lewis covers in a skinny tie, New Wave-flavored cover band (shades of Adam Sandler!). Eventually, he realized it was time to find his own voice, so the 22 year-old aspiring rock 'n' roller packed his bags and moved to Boston.
John Gorka was born in Newark, NJ, and at age 10 got his first guitar which his older brother quickly claimed as his own. As a result, John took up the banjo. The family was never the same. In high school Gorka started writing songs and singing with a church folk group. When he moved away from home to go to Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA, he started performing in the school coffeehouse programs and the Razzy Dazzy Spasm Band, a non-traditional bluegrass, country, blues and folk band. Fellow Spasm member Doug Anderson took Gorka to a coffeehouse that had just opened on the south side of Bethlehem, PA, called Godfrey Daniels. It was there Gorka discovered the kind of performer he wanted to become. As a modern day folk hero who's musical career has spanned over 15 years and 8 albums, John Gorka is still honored to be a part of the folk tradition -- energetic acoustic music that is not a trend, not a fad, but an expression of everyday life. His rich baritone voice and unique songcraft weave together in a way that can only be described as "Gorka." Gorka's rich multi-faceted songs are full of depth, beauty and emotion.
