When Laurie first contacted me, she asked me if family members counted as fans of 311. My response? OF COURSE! Family of any band are the original fans and are the cheerleaders that gave the members the drive needed to succeed. So it is with my utmost honor and pleasure that I was able to interview Laurie, sister of Mr. Doug SA Martinez!
Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, Laurie is the oldest of the four kids in the Martinez family. Her mother was a school teacher who became a stay at home mom once Doug was born, and her father worked for a trucking company by day, and played bass in a few bands by night. She credits her family with shaping her into the person she has become. As she says, “I couldn’t be who I am if it wasn’t for my loving parents and family. They’ve loved us all unconditionally.”
Laurie is lucky to be surrounded by love at all levels. She is currently engaged and marrying the love of her life Kim next March. Her adoration of Kim is evident in everything she wrote. As she puts it, Kim “Makes my heart sing and flutter every day.” You know you all just said, “AWWWW” out loud, don’t deny it! Laurie is also the proud mama of three kids, Evan, Willow and Trey. Some of you might know Evan since he is 311’s band assistant, and also a member of the bands Exes of Evil and Ghostwolf. The three will soon turn to four when she marries Kim and welcomes Max into her family.
Laurie currently resides in Lincoln, Nebraska now where she is accompanist at a middle school, and she also teaches voice and piano at a music studio. She knew by the time she was in the 5th grade that she wanted to do something with music. She was in a group called the “Omaha Mini-Singers” in middle school, then performed in musicals and swing choir in high school. Laurie attended college at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln where she majored first in music, and then in musical theatre. There she joined the university show choir called Scarlet and Cream Singers.
Laurie teaches voice lessons and has being doing so for the past twenty four years, and has made her living by performing a variety of roles in the music world. Some of her resume includes acting and singing professionally, as well as directing with the Lincoln Community Playhouse, Nebraska Rep, Haymarket Theatre, YAAL, and OmniArts Nebraska. She has even done some commercials and radio jingles, training films, and voice overs. Then there is the group she is in with two other women called Broad Appeal, which you can check out at www.broadappeal.net. To say that Laurie is a busy woman is an understatement! However she wouldn’t have it any other way. “I am happy to say that I work in music day in and day our and wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Clearly, the attraction to music runs in the family. Laurie recalls not knowing exactly what to make of Doug first joining 311. At the time she was busy being a mom, performing herself, and giving voice lessons. She knew that Doug was in a band and really enjoying it, but he was also attending college at UNL. As his oldest sibling, she says she remembers him asking her for some advice. 311 had the opportunity to go to California and sign with a company, but Doug still had a year left of college and wasn’t sure what to do. Laurie told him that he should please the parents by finishing school and then move out to join the rest of the band once that was done. As Laurie puts it, “I can honestly say that it was probably the worst advice I’ve ever given anyone!” As you all know, he didn’t listen and the rest is history!
It’s known that many of us fans keep count of how many shows we’ve seen but Laurie can’t really say how many she has actually seen total. She can vividly recall being at one of their earlier shows though because she was very pregnant with twins. It was back in 1993 and 311 was playing a few shows in Lincoln. She said even though the show was small, she remembers it being great and that her mom was “standing on a table dancing to their music. I’m glad one of us was able to do that!” Laurie says that all of the shows and events she has attended have been her favorite in one way or another. She goes to at least one show a year, but has been trying to make it two and turning the other one into a vacation that “takes [her] someplace other than the flatlands.” One show in particular that stands out in her mind was back in 2001. She went out to visit her brother in L.A. and went as guests to the KROC Weenie Roast. This was the famous show where Shaq was flown in by helicopter to perform with the band. Laurie said “I think I was just amazed with the whole theatrics…I was hanging out in the stands with the fans and I think that was the first time it hit me that these people were crazy for 311.”
Well, now that she knew the fans were nuts for 311, you have to wonder if she’s ever had any crazy fan interactions herself being SA’s sister. Laurie told me that there haven’t really been crazy interactions as just honest, nice ones with sweet fans. She first remembers being approached in San Diego in 2007. It was her son Evan’s 21st birthday and the English Beat (of which she is a fan) were opening for 311. A woman approached her asking who she knew in the group because of the pass she was wearing. When Laurie told her, the woman told her it was her 50th show and they struck up a wonderful conversation. After they finished the woman hugger her and walked away. Laurie says this was “probably one of the sweetest encounters.” She credits Facebook for letting her be friends with a lot of the 311 Familia and she loves meeting them at shows. Laurie gives this message to all the 311 fans: “I’m just a normal person who likes 311 as much as you. Come say hi and tell me why you love the band. The best stories I get are the ones where a song changed the life of someone for the better.”
You already know that music is a huge part of Laurie’s life, so it’s only natural she has a ton of bands and artists that she loves besides 311! Some of them include Manhattan Transfer, Rage Against the Machine, Willie Nelson, Dwight Yoakam, Beastie Boys, and New York Voices (she listed more and said the list could’ve gone on a lot longer!). She loves anything from the 70’s, then says to “throw in jazz and reggae and salsa and I can guarantee you a mighty fine time.” She also thinks that we should have a national dance anthem and that it should be Brick House because “that song will make all your parts move!” One of Laurie’s favorite 311 songs is Nix Hex because there is a spanish phrase in the song that SA sings that their father used to say to them when they were young. It was part of a nursery rhyme and when they were toddlers their dad would have them stand on his lap as he pushed them back and forward reciting the phrase. Every time Laurie hears it, she smiles and reminisces about their childhood.
Some other fun things to know about Laurie: as if she wasn’t busy enough, she is starting a new group with three men and three women doing a cappella and piano. She loves to read, trying new wines, and is a huge fan of the DVR! Some of the shows on hers are all of the Law and Orders, American Horror Story, True Blood, CSI, and Cold Case. She also thoroughly enjoys the HGTV channel and declares that “Someday I will have that second home on an island.” Back in 2000 Laurie entered a song into an a cappella contest in Denver and she won best song! It’s called Refrigerator Blues and can be found on the Baby Needs Shoes CD (of which she believes she has the only copy!). Also, the closeness of the band members of 311 also stems to their families. Pnut’s dad will be the one to marry Laurie and Kim next year, and Laurie is giving Pnut’s niece voice and piano lessons. As she puts it, “Talk about coming full circle.”
One last funny story that Laurie mentioned in her response to me. One summer way back in the day she said SA was going to audition for the swing choir, so he asked her and their sister Monica for some help with what he needed to know. They showed him a step touch dance move, going side to side, and he had a little trouble doing it. So, being siblings, they were laughing and teasing as siblings normally do. As Laurie puts it, “Well, we made fun of him that day and of course, we all know that he got in the last laugh.”
So there you go – you have officially been introduced (or learned a little more!) about the fabulous Laurie Martinez. I have never met her in person (YET!) but I can’t wait for the day that I can be one of those fans that walks up to her and hugs her, just as that woman who had been to 50+ shows did years ago. How Laurie has time to sleep is beyond me with all that she accomplishes in her daily life. One thing she will always have time for though, is the 311 family and for that we are truly grateful! Thank you Laurie for sharing your story with us! Here is her final message to all of the 311 fans worldwide:
“My brother has said that they have some of the best fans and I agree. Keep on rocking and keep it real. Always. Peace.”