Martin Black was born in Dublin and is a member of one of Ireland’s best-known and loved musical families. For Martin, singing has always been a huge part of his life, coming from a family where regular gatherings of family and friends were asked to "sing a song" or "give a recitation" in sessions organised by his father, Kevin Black, usually on Sunday nights. Kevin came from a small island off the north-east coast of County Antrim in Northern Ireland called Rathlin Island, where traditional music was flourishing.

Martin’s mother, Patty Black, was from the Liberties, an area in central Dublin where the families go back for generations. A wonderful singer and dancer, she was a woman who would never need to be asked a second time to sing a song, under any circumstances. The Black Family siblings, Shay, Michael, Mary, Martin and Frances, grew up in Charlemont Street in Dublin, surrounded by a community that was mainly poor, but always proud and determined. It was here that Martin had his famous bicycle shop, although, these days, the shop and the houses surrounding it are gone and have been replaced by modern apartment blocks.

The Black Family began to perform together as a group and released three albums, the most recent of which was Our Time Together in 2004. Their regular tours gave Martin the experience of performing to much larger audiences, especially at the many festivals in the United States. As the years passed, they each made their own way in the world, but that bond of music, which was instilled in them by Patty and Kevin, would always  bring 

them back together. Mary and Frances went on to become very successful singers, each in their own genre, and the three boys, Shay, Michael, and Martin began to make a name for themselves internationally as The Black Brothers. This despite the fact that Shay and Michael live in San Francisco, and Martin lives in Dublin. In many ways, this was an advantage because each of the brothers continued to develop in their favourite areas of music. Shay specialised in sea shanties and songs of harmony, Michael, old and new American and Irish folk songs, and Martin, the songs of Dublin.

As a solo performer, Martin's musical beginnings usher from O'Connell’s pub in Richmond Street in the mid-1970s. He joined with his friend, Peter Hanratty, and together they belted out contemporary songs of the time, folk songs and traditional tunes, with Martin on the fiddle, mandolin and guitar and Peter on the Banjo and guitar.

The most important aspect of the music of Martin Black, is his sessions. Ironically, the style is very similar to that session of old Kevin Black in the sitting room of the house all those years ago. "I didn’t realise this until my later years, but I have been involved in organising one session or other at least once a week for most of my adult life,” he says. “Even when living in a squat in Utrecht, Holland, all those years ago with a gang of mad drinkers from England, Ireland and Scotland, we had a music session on Wednesday nights in our local pub.”

Martin lives in Dublin and has four children, Sara, Emily, Kevin and Michael. He regularly sings with The Black Brothers at international sessions and festivals, and performs with The Black Family several times per year, most notably on the annual cruise in which the whole family participates. Martin is involved in regular music sessions.