Editing Roberta Martin (section)

==Early years==
{{More citations needed|section|date=June 2023}}
Born in [[Helena, Arkansas]], on February 12, 1907, Martin moved to [[Chicago]] with her family in 1917, where she studied [[piano]].<ref name=":0" /> Although a high school teacher inspired her to dream of becoming a concert pianist, her future course was changed after accompanying the Young People's Choir at [[Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church (Chicago)|Ebenezer Baptist Church]]. She came into contact with [[Thomas A. Dorsey]], known as the Father of Gospel Music, through her work as the pianist for the youth choir. With Dorsey's help, she and Theodore Frye organized the Martin-Frye Quartet, a youth group consisting of Eugene Smith, Norsalus McKissick, Robert Anderson, James Lawrence, Willie Webb and Romance Watson, in 1933. Martin renamed the group the Roberta Martin Singers in 1936 and added Bessie Folk, Myrtle Scott and Delois Barrett Campbell to the group in the 1940s. The group set the standard for the gospel choir and mixed group, and had an extremely successful recording career, featuring such hits as "Only A Look," and "Grace."<ref>Wimbush, Vincent L. ''African Americans and the Bible: Sacred Texts and Social Structures'', Continuum International Publishing Group (2001), pg. 471; {{ISBN|0-8264-1376-5}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=McNeil |first=W. K. |title=Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music |date=October 18, 2013 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=9781135377007 |pages=242}}</ref>

Most of these songs were published by Roberta Martin Studio of Music, a publishing house in [[Chicago]] that she incorporated in 1939, and would eventually publish outstanding compositions by gospel artists ranging from [[Alex Bradford|Professor Alex Bradford]] to [[James Cleveland]]. Her first composition, "Try Jesus, He Satisfies," was an immediate hit in 1943.<ref>Darden, Bob. ''People Get Ready!: A New History of Black Gospel Music'', Continuum International Publishing Group (2004), pg. 190; {{ISBN|0-8264-1436-2}}</ref>