Marty Stuart Star Stats

Birth date: September 30, 1958

Birthplace: Neshoba County Hospital near his hometown of Philadelphia, Mississippi

Hair: black, worn long; "You wet it, get into a fast car with the windows down and then spray it with Aqua Net. Just stay away from open flames."

Eyes: hazel. Height: 5'7" Weight: 145

Parents: father John, worked for U.S. Motors; mother Hilda, worked at a bank

Sibling: younger sister Jennifer

Spouse: country singer Connie Smith, married July 8, 1997 on an Indian reservation in South Dakota. "I love and respect her very much. You know, she's an angel. She really is a spiritual person who gives my heart great hope and my life guidance."

First meeting: Marty was 12; Connie was performing at a fair in Marty's hometown. "Me and my sister had our picture taken with Connie that night. I still have that picture. She hasn't changed a bit."

Pet: a bloodhound named Oscar Lee Perkins; in 1995, Marvel Comics distributed a comic book about Marty and his dog called Marty Party in Space

First Guitar: age 3; his parents bought him a plastic crank-up Mickey Mouse toy guitar; by age 5, he wanted a real one

Earliest performance: age 5; his neighbors owned a dry-cleaning business and let Marty stand on the shop's countertop and play his guitar and sing

First band: age 12; he traveled with the bluegrass-gospel group The Sullivan Family

Instruments: guitar, mandolin, bass and fiddle

Big break: Lester Flatt discovered him in 1972 and was impressed by the adolescent's rendition of "Rawhide" on the mandolin; Marty played his first gig with the bluegrass legend's band in Delaware at the age of 13; he played with Flatt until 1979, finishing his education through correspondence courses

Favorite foods: includes Mexican food and fried chicken

Favorite dessert: his mother's applesauce cake

Favorite color: black

Favorite love song: "High on a Mountain Top"

Hobbies: collects autographs, old records and other country music memorabilia; has an extensive collection of guitars; photography

Largest memento: Ernest Tubb's old tour bus

First autograph: Minnie Pearl

First Opry appearance: age 13, in September 1972 with Lester Flatt. "My God, there was Roy Acuff, Tex Ritter, Brother Oswald. I couldn't believe that I was on the inside"; 20 years later, he would become a member on November 28, 1992

Musical heroes: Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and Johnny Cash; Marty was once married to Johnny's daughter Cindy; Marty says, "Of four daughters, I was the 11th son-in-law. Johnny still calls me ol' number eleven."

Other achievement: has served as president of the Country Music Foundation since 1996

CMA award: 1992 Vocal Event of the Year for "The Whiskey Ain't Workin' " with Travis Tritt

Grammys: 1992 Best Country Vocal Collaboration with Travis Tritt for "The Whiskey Ain't Workin' "; 1993 Best Country Instrumental Performance for "Red Wing," a multi-artist collaboration with Asleep at the Wheel

Gold albums: Tempted (1992), This One's Gonna Hurt You (1992)

Billboard Top 10 singles: "Hillbilly Rock" (No. 8, 1990); "Little Things" (No. 8, 1990); "Tempted" (No. 5, 1991); "The Whiskey Ain't Workin' " (with Travis Tritt, No. 2, 1991); "Burn Me Down" (No. 7, 1992); "This One's Gonna Hurt You (For a Long, Long Time)" (with Travis Tritt, No. 7, 1992)

Internet address: http://www.martystuart.net

Compiled by Christine Reed