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Derek Martin is an American R&B, Soul, and Gospel singer born on July 2, 1938, in Detroit, Michigan. He began his professional career at the age of 17 when he was hired to sing with Duke Ellington. In the early 1950s, Martin joined the singing group the Pearls alongside Howard Guyton and pianist Dave Clowney. The group released their first single as the Five Pearls in 1954 and later recorded as Howie & the Sapphires, releasing a single under that name in 1959 for OKeh Records. They eventually changed their name to the Top Notes and recorded for various imprints, including Tuba, Sue, and Roulette, as well as releasing the enduring single "Soul Power"/"Sly Girl" for Stax. The Top Notes also released the original version of "Twist & Shout" in 1961 as the B-side to "Always Late" for Atlantic Records, which later influenced the Isley Brothers' hit rendition of the song. Martin launched his solo career in 1963 with a successful cover of Otis Blackwell's "Daddy Rolling Stone" on Crackerjack Records and just missed the Top 20 pop and R&B charts with the single "You Better Go." He has made his home in France for several years, where he is celebrated as a master soul singer, earning the nickname "the Golden Voice." In 2007, EMI collected his

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