Former Madison Mayor Remembers Music Industry Vet, Longtime Resident Tony Martell

MADISON, N.J.– When Tony Martell worked in Columbia Records' A&R department, he would bring reel tapes with him back to his Madison home.

One morning, Martell walked into his kitchen and found a note from his son, Tony, Jr., on one of the reels.

The note said, "Dad, if you don't sign this guy, you're crazy," former Madison Mayor Gary Ruckelshaus told Patch.

"Shortly thereafter [Tony] signed Billy Joel to his first recording contract," Ruckelshaus said.

Martell, a longtime label executive and founder of the T.J. Martell Foundation, died at his Madison home on Sunday, according to reports. He was 90.

According to Billboard.com, Martell worked with luminaries such as Electric Light Orchestra, Joan Jett, Ozzy Osbourne, Stevie Ray Vaughn, the Isley Brothers and more during his 30-plus year career.

READ MORE: Music Industry Veteran From Madison Dead at 90: Reports

Martell, his wife Vicky and their two children, T.J. and Debbie, moved to Madison in the late 1950s, while Tony was working for Columbia Records, Ruckelshaus said.

Vicky was a teacher at a local school.

T.J. and Debbie both went through the Madison public school system, Ruckelshaus said.

T.J. became an award-winning drummer, being mentored by Buddy Rich, Ruckelshaus said.

Unfortunately, in 1970, T.J. – then a freshman in college – was diagnosed with leukemia.

"In those days [it] was a death sentence," Ruckelshaus said.

T.J. died two years later and his father promised he would raise $1 million for research "so that others wouldn't have to go through what T.J. did – treatment, remission and relapse," Ruckelshaus said.

Tony Martell established the T.J. Martell Foundation in 1975.

The foundation is the music industry's largest foundation for leukemia, cancer and AIDS research, according to Billboard.com.

"As recently as 2 weeks ago, Tony told us that, for the first time in history, childhood leukemia was no longer the number one cause of death in children due to the research and cures that his foundation and others had financed," Ruckelshaus said. "When you apply that data to the world at large, we are talking about saving millions of lives."

Over the past 22 years, the borough has raised nearly $2 million from local events as a tribute to the Martells, according to Ruckelshaus.

"Tony and Vicky had been large benefactors to various causes in town – YMCA, St. Vincent's Church, the Madison High Marching Band, to name few – and Vicky was the choirmaster for St. Vincent's five choirs for 25 years. "

Vicky – Martell’s wife of more than 65 years, – died in February at the age of 88, Variety.com reported.

Flags in Madison were flown at half staff on Monday.

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