(Image credit: Spectrasonics)
Shaun Martin, a member of jazz band Snarky Puppy, has died at the age of 45.
The Grammy Award-winning singer’s cause of death has not yet been revealed. He had been recovering from an undisclosed illness and had a benefit concert scheduled for him on September 14.
Martin’s death was announced by his band on Instagram on Sunday. The group posted a picture of him singing with the caption: “Yesterday, we lost a music legend and, more importantly, a beautiful, luminous human being. Shaun Martin touched so many people during his life and through the beautiful immortality of music, will continue to do so. There’s so much that can be said but words can’t do justice. Rest in peace.”
Martin’s musical career began at 4 years old when he started to learn the piano. He then began to learn classical and jazz music before attending Weatherford College and the University of North Texas.
He won his first Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album for his work as a producer on Kirk Franklin’s Hero. Over the course of his career, he won seven Grammy Awards.
Three of Shaun’s Grammys were for his work with Snarky Puppy, while four were for his work as a music director for gospel singer Kirk Franklin. He won his most recent Grammy for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album with Snarky Puppy in 2023.
