2011 Legacy Inductee
Pepper Martin
1922 - 2007
James Leslie Martin was born in Marietta, attended Marietta city schools, and served in the United States Navy during World War II. He got his nickname “Pepper” at a young age playing baseball. There was a popular big league player with a similar name; both were quite good with a bat so his teammates nicknamed him "Pepper". He then began his radio career spinning records on WFOM in Marietta after retiring from Lockheed in 1988. He jumped at the opportunity to do color for Marietta High football games and when the station needed a play by play announcer Pepper got the job. He was the "Voice of the Marietta Blue Devils" for 28 years. He announced the state championship game in 1967, in a driving rainstorm. Marietta defeated Columbus and won the state championship for the first time in school history. Pepper was inducted into the Marietta High School Hall of Fame in 2006 by unanimous vote. Pepper also announced all the election returns for Cobb County on WFOM broadcast live after an explosion at the local drug store on the square. Pepper also served his community by holding a position on the Cobb County Parks & Recreation Commission for over 10 years and was a lifelong fan of Georgia football, Braves baseball, and Falcons football.
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