Shaun Martin, singer and keyboardist of jazz band Snarky Puppy, has died. He was 45.
The cause of death has not been revealed, but it was reported that the Dallas musician stepped away in April 2023 to battle an undisclosed illness.
Snarky Puppy announced his death on Instagram, Facebook and X on Sunday. They wrote: “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.”
His wife, Monica Wilson Martin, also shared the news on Facebook. She wrote, “The light in our family has been dim since April 17, 2023. Since then it has been our priority to surround him in love, support and prayer and the best medical care that could be provided. At this point, God has spoken, and we must accept His Will.”
Martin was a seven-time Grammy award winner who began his career in his hometown of Dallas.
He was a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and the University of North Texas. He began working with gospel choir director Kirk Franklin while still in high school and later became his music director. As a music major in college, he worked with Erykah Badu on her second album, Mama’s Gun.
It was also at UNT where he joined a group of student musicians to create Snarky Puppy, a jazz fusion band that went on to win five Grammy Awards. Martin himself has won seven Grammys: three as a Snarky Puppy member and four for his work with Franklin.
His work went beyond just producing and recording for a number of artists. When he wasn’t touring, he served as minister of music at Friendship West Baptist Church in Dallas. In 2015, Martin released his debut solo album 7 Summers, which represented the seven years he spent working on his own project. Since then, he released two more solo albums that fuse jazz, gospel and R&B contemporary music.
Mark Lettieri, a member of Snarky Puppy, posted on Instagram, calling Martin “an absolute force in music.” He wrote that the 18 years they spent making music together were the best.
“You were the best, and you made everyone around you better,” Lettieri said. “You were larger than life.”
Prior to his death, a benefit show had been scheduled for Sept. 14 in Dallas to celebrate his life. Celebrity musicians including Badu, Norah Jones, Snarky Puppy were set to perform.
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