Martin was the son of Burke Vidnovic, the former head budgeter of the Federal General Services Administration and Marge, the head guidance counselor at his high school. He was voted "Best All Around" of his senior class and was a star halfback on the football team until a knee injury ended his athletic career. He was a soloist in the choir, played saxophone in the band, had the lead in the school plays, and was a straight-A student. He went to the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music where he met his wife. He was in the cast of Yul Brenner's "Home Sweet Homer" which toured the country but closed after one night on Broadway; whereupon, Brenner prevailed upon the show's backers to use the same cast and crew for a revival of "The King and I." He appeared in Broadway in revivals of "Oklahoma" and "Brigadoon." He has two older sisters and a younger brother, who was the star quarterback of the U of North Carolina and was drafted by the New Orleans Saints as a punter.He has appeared in numerous national TV commercials and once literally "sang for his supper" for several months at the Plaza Hotel wherein he sang show tunes in the lounge in exchange for room and board.
