Larry Hampton Martin

Larry Hampton Martin, age 63, passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home on July 15, 2026 in East Hardwick, Vermont. Larry was born on August 1, 1962 in Conway, Arkansas. He was a graduate of North Little Rock High School in North Little Rock, Arkansas, where he played flute in the marching band and was elected class president. He attended acting classes at the University of Tennessee in Memphis before departing to pursue creative endeavors. 

Larry Martin was an artist all his life. He ghostwrote two books and wrote many more unpublished works. He toured with a group of stand-up comedians. He was an accomplished card and coin magician who invented several original effects, including a card palm. He performed in a traveling theatre troupe, lending his talents to multiple off-Broadway productions. 

Above all else, he was a songwriter, telling stories with a guitar, a southern twang, and heartfelt lyrics. Deeply influenced by the folk and Americana artists of the 1960s and 1970s, Larry wrote songs shaped by the people he met and the small towns he discovered while traveling the country. He wrote about love, family, and the quiet struggles of everyday life with a gentle sense of humor and keen observation. He wrote more than 100 songs and was in the process of recording and publishing a compilation album, The Last Days of Radio. During his final years, he contributed to the Burlington Songwriter’s Workshop and mentored and communed with musicians and aspiring songwriters. 

Larry loved traveling and lived in bursts in Arkansas, New Mexico, Florida, and Vermont, even spending an extended time in Mexico. He spoke a smattering of Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, and Serbian. He made friends wherever he went. 

Larry was known for his acerbic wit, his raucous laugh, and his giving nature. He loved long drives where he could be alone with his thoughts, spending time with his wife, kids, and border collies, and sharing long, winding philosophical and political discussions over food in local restaurants and fast food joints. 

Larry is survived by his wife, Pamela (55), his three children, Laura (34), Shannon (33), and Ellie (32), his parents Larry Hamilton Martin (86) and Sybil (84), his sister Shannon (60), and numerous nieces, nephews, in-laws, and friends. He will be dearly missed. 

A memorial will be held for Larry at the Front Seat Cafe in Hardwick, VT on August 1, 2026 at 4PM.

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