Grammy-Award-winning musician Shaun Martin remembered as pillar of Dallas music scene

DALLAS - Friends and loved ones are remembering an accomplished Dallas musician who died unexpectedly this weekend at the age of 45 after battling an undisclosed illness.

Harold LaShuan Martin, who went by Shuan, passed last Saturday surrounded by his family.

Martin became a Grammy-Award-winning producer and pianist, earning widespread acclaim for his work with gospel singer Kirk Franklin and the North Texas Grammy-winning collective, Snarky Puppy.

However, Martin unexpectedly passed away on Saturday after battling an undisclosed illness since April 2023. 

Dr. Sam Nix, a local educator, grew up with Martin and considered him a brother.

"I grew up with Shaun, and I’ve never known life without Shaun," he said. "Very rarely did Shaun do things where he wouldn’t advocate for or support or bring people along with him."

In an effort to return the favor, a star-studded concert to benefit Martin’s road to recovery was planned for September.

The show is still on. But now, instead of funds going to his recovery, the money is going to Martin’s wife and son.

Vincent Hall serves on the praise team at Friendship-West Baptist Church in the Red Bird neighborhood of Dallas.

"His mother and father raised him so that he was grateful enough to be humble," he said.

Martin served as the church’s music director.

"He was young enough to be my son but wise enough to be my mentor," Hall said. "That’s something that you can’t learn. It’s God-given. You can’t learn that."

Martin toured across the world. But whenever he returned home, you could feel that home energy from crowds, like at a concert at Dallas’ Granada Theater in 2022.

"So he was the ambassador for Dallas music in a way that nobody else has ever been," Hall said. "And I don’t know if anybody will be for a long time."

"Shaun was always trying to make sure that everybody understood the talent in Dallas," Nix said.

But while Martin went to great lengths to highlight Dallas musicians, he stood in a spotlight of his own — something that never surprised his best friend.

"He just wanted to have an impact," Nix said. "So the distractions of life, he never allowed to get him off course, which is what propelled him to such greatness."

The benefit concert for Martin’s family will be on September 14 at the Black Academy of Arts and Letters. It will feature Erykah Badu, Norah Jones and other artists.