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Roberta Martin was an influential figure in American gospel music, known for founding the Roberta Martin Singers in 1933. Born in 1907 in Helena, Arkansas, she moved to Cairo, Illinois, in 1918, where she studied piano and developed a passion for religious music after accompanying the Young People's Choir at Ebenezer Baptist Church. The Roberta Martin Singers, one of the first mixed male and female gospel choirs, were notable for their unique sound, which emphasized distinct individual voices over traditional harmony. The group originated with male singers from local churches and later included female vocalists, such as Bessie Folk and Deloris Barrett, in the early 1940s. They produced several classic gospel hits, including "He Knows Just How Much We Can Bear," "Try Jesus, He Satisfies," "I'm Just Waiting on the Lord," and "God Is Still on the Throne." Martin also operated her own recording studio and published songs by other gospel songwriters. The Roberta Martin Singers performed at notable events, including a concert at Gian-Carlo Menotti's Spoleto Festival of Two Worlds in Italy in 1963. The group disbanded shortly after Martin's death in 1969.

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