Mark Elliott (musician)

Last updated

Mark Elliott is a songwriter, author and guitarist whose career started in Washington, D.C., and later took him to Nashville. As a songwriter Elliott has penned hits which reached the Billboard Top Forty charts, notably "Every Man for Himself" for Neal McCoy (US Country No. 37, 2000). [1] As an author, Mark is represented by Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc. New York, New York, and has released his debut coming of age memoir, entitled, "The Sons of Starmount: Memoir of a Ten-Year-Old Boy" on Valentine's Day 2019. The companion album to the book, featuring all original songs produced in the style of the 1970s (the era of the story) is also available.

Contents

Early Career and Work as a Songwriter

As a teenager, Elliott immersed himself in the vibrant bluegrass and folk music scene of Washington, D.C. One of his earliest guitar teachers and mentors was Phil Rosenthal, from the famed bluegrass band, The Seldom Scene. A debut album (Common Ground, 1988) and a last minute opening act for Tom Paxton lit the fire of the young writer, leading him to Nashville and a publishing deal with Cherry Lane Music.

Elliott went on to staff writing positions with major publishing companies including, Bluewater Music Group, Maypop Music Group (owned by the super-group Alabama) as well as Sony Music Publishing. Elliott's songs have been recorded by independent and major artists, receiving airplay on radio and TV in the United States and abroad. His songs have hit the Billboard Top Forty charts, notably the hit single by Neal McCoy, Every Man for Himself which Billboard magazine called "a song with rare lyrical and musical edge and the best cut on the album." [2] The late Rodeo and Recording star Chris LeDoux also recorded one of Mark's songs ""Making Ends Meet"" on his Capitol Records ""Whatcha Gonna Do With A Cowboy"" release.

Buoyed by wins in singer-songwriter contests at major festivals across the country Elliott began to build a reputation for standout live performances. However, it was winning the Kerrville New Folk Award in 1993 that really put him on the map and on the road. As one-half of the duo Culley & Elliott, he toured extensively in support of their acclaimed CD, Flight of Dreams(1993).

Solo career

Common Ground

Mark's debut solo album, Common Ground on the West Texas East label was recorded in the Washington, DC suburbs and released in 1988. It was Common Ground that first attracted he attention of the legendary Tom Paxton and ultimately lead to Mark's move to Nashville, TN in 1990.

My Great Escape

The year 2000 brought Elliott back to a solo career and a successful new CD, My Great Escape , featuring a duet with Tom Paxton (Stars in Their Eyes). Described as an easy blend of folk and country with pop and jazz, [3] the album was an Americana Chart's top 70 CD and its songs were played on commercial and public radio programs across the United States and abroad. The song She Rode Horses reached #2 on the independent country chart, Inside Country. Sing Out! Magazine called it a "superb album" and Music Row Magazine said "almost too good" and "I'll bet he's a killer to hear live."

American Road

In 2004, the album American Road set out to capture characters, towns and stories from Elliott's well-traveled past. American Road attracted vocal collaborations from luminaries Don Henry (Grammy Award-winning songwriter) and Jonell Mosser (renowned vocalist who has sung with the likes of Bonnie Raitt, B.B. King and Ringo Starr). Elliott's US touring through 2005 continued to include high profile clubs and festivals, including an official showcase spot at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.

Pickin' Blackberries

In 2006 Elliott's road led back to his Folk and Bluegrass beginnings. The new CD, Pickin' Blackberries shares 12 new songs with some of the most respected names in acoustic music. Elliott's guitar and voice, coupled with the likes of IBMA winner Jim Hurst, National finger-picking champion Pete Huttlinger and Americana divas The McCrary Sisters, make for a strong and genuine delivery of captivating stories.

Cordell

In the summer of 2008 Mark was commissioned by the TN State Parks and the Friends of Cordell Hull State Park to write the song "Cordell" and produce a CD about the life and times of the famous TN statesman, Cordell Hull. That CD continues to be used in Tennessee schools as well as United Nations educational programs.

Good Life

In the fall of 2008 Elliott released his CD Good Life including a song by the late Chicago troubadour Tom Dundee as well as Wake-Up, written for Barack Obama's 2008 US presidential campaign and used in rallies and fundraisers in the last months of that campaign.

The Sons of Starmount - Companion EP Vol 1

Released spring 2019 – This five-song EP of original songs written from the new Mark Elliott Memoir, The Sons of Starmount was produced and recorded as if it were released in 1977 (the year the story takes place.) Vol 1 represents the 70's singer-songwriter version of the companion EP.

Recent Work – Runaway Home

Mark is now singing in the Nashville, Americana trio called Runaway Home. Runaway Home is a Panoramic-Americana band founded by two intrepid dreamers and schemers who share a love for music and the places it takes us all. Mark Elliott and Gary Culley are more than just members of a popular traveling band. They are avid outdoorsmen and, lovers of all things wild. This album sums up their 26-year friendship in music and wilderness. It rings with every valley they have camped in, flows with every river they have kayaked and canoed down, and soars with every mountain they have summited. Moreover, of course, this set of music echoes from every stage they have played together over the last quarter century. Gotta Get Outside has thirteen new and old songs written about, and in many cases, within, the wilderness Runaway Home so loves. The album will also be a jumping off point for the band to begin turning their music into action, protecting what is near and dear - nature. The band is actively touring.

Mark Elliott and Runaway Home are endorsed by Elixir Strings and Taylor Guitars. He owns and manages the Cub Creek recording studio. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Crow Medicine Show</span> Americana string band based in Tennessee

Old Crow Medicine Show is an Americana string band based in Nashville, Tennessee, that has been recording since 1998. They were inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on September 17, 2013. Their ninth album, Remedy, released in 2014, won the Grammy Award for Best Folk Album. The group's music has been called old-time, folk, and alternative country. Along with original songs, the band performs many pre-World War II blues and folk songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rodney Crowell</span> American musician

Rodney Crowell is an American musician, known primarily for his work as a singer and songwriter in country music. Crowell has had five number one singles on Hot Country Songs, all from his 1988 album Diamonds & Dirt. He has also written songs and produced for other artists.

Americana is an amalgam of American music formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the musical ethos of the United States, specifically those sounds that are emerged from the Southern United States such as folk, gospel, blues, country, jazz, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, bluegrass, and other external influences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Greencards</span> American progressive bluegrass band

The Greencards are an American progressive bluegrass band that formed in 2003 in Austin, Texas, and relocated in 2005 to Nashville, Tennessee. The band was founded by Englishman Eamon McLoughlin and Australians Kym Warner and Carol Young. The musicians originally performed in local Austin bars, and soon found increasing acclaim. They have released one independent album, Movin' On, in 2003, and two albums, Weather and Water and Viridian, on the Dualtone record label. Their fourth album, Fascination, was released on Sugar Hill in 2009. Their fifth album, The Brick Album (2011), was self-produced with the direct support of their fans. Pre-production donors were recognized with their names inscribed on the "bricks" that make up the cover art.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Isbell</span> American singer-songwriter and guitarist

Michael Jason Isbell is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor. He is known for his solo career, his work with the band The 400 Unit, and as a member of Drive-By Truckers for six years, from 2001 to 2007. Isbell has won four Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamon Records</span> American record label

Lamon Records is an indie record label that was established in North Carolina before moving to Nashville, Tennessee. Lamon Records concentrates its efforts in country, bluegrass, alternative and Americana music, as well as all forms of Christian music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Townes Earle</span> American musician (1982–2020)

Justin Townes Earle was an American singer-songwriter and musician. After his debut, EP Yuma (2007), he released eight full-length albums. He was recognized with an Americana Music Award for Emerging Artist of the Year in 2009 and for Song of the Year in 2011 for "Harlem River Blues". His father is alternative country artist Steve Earle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steep Canyon Rangers</span> American band

Steep Canyon Rangers is an American bluegrass band based in Asheville and Brevard, North Carolina. Though formed in 2000, the band has become widely known since 2009 for collaborating with actor/banjoist Steve Martin. In 2013, the Steep Canyon Rangers' solo album Nobody Knows You won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album. The previous year, their 2012 collaboration with Steve Martin, Rare Bird Alert, was nominated for the same award. Steep Canyon Rangers have recorded 9 solo albums plus two collaborative albums with Steve Martin. SCR performed as a quintet for nearly a decade before intermittent touring began as a sextet with Steve Martin; the band still performs in both configurations. In May 2013, Steve Martin and SCR began performing with Edie Brickell after she and Martin co-wrote and recorded Love Has Come for You.

Kate Lee O'Connor is a Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and fiddler. She is a co-lead singer, writer, and instrumentalist for the bluegrass band, O'Connor Band with Mark O'Connor, whose album, Coming Home, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top Bluegrass Albums chart in August 2016. In 2019, she signed with Compass Records as half of the duo, O'Connor Lee, with Forrest O'Connor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gangstagrass</span> American bluegrass and hip hop band

Gangstagrass is an American bluegrass and hip hop group, most known for the theme song of the FX television show Justified. The group is founded and led by Brooklyn producer Rench, and combine authentic bluegrass and rap into a new genre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Black Lillies</span>

The Black Lillies are an Americana band from Knoxville, Tennessee that was founded in early 2009 by Cruz Contreras. They toured actively from 2009 until their last show on New Year's Eve 2019. Their lineup for their 2018 Stranger to Me studio album included Cruz Contreras on lead vocals, guitar, and keys, Sam Quinn on bass and vocals, Bowman Townsend on drums, and Dustin Schaefer on electric guitar and vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sierra Hull</span> American singer-songwriter

Sierra Dawn Hull is an American bluegrass singer-songwriter, mandolinist, and guitarist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forrest O'Connor</span> American singer-songwriter

Forrest O’Connor is a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, mandolinist, and guitarist. He is the son of violin virtuoso and composer Mark O'Connor and currently a member of the duo O'Connor Lee with his wife, Kate Lee. He has also been the co-lead singer and writer for the Americana band, O’Connor Band, whose album, Coming Home, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Bluegrass Albums chart in August 2016. O'Connor has recorded with Paul Simon, Zac Brown, Clint Black, and Kenny Loggins, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valerie Smith (musician)</span> American roots and bluegrass recording artist

Valerie Smith is an American roots and bluegrass recording artist who has performed in the United States, Europe, Canada and the United Kingdom, as well as being a music teacher. Her supporting band is called "Liberty Pike", named after a historic road that connects from Nashville, TN through Bell Buckle, TN.

Bradley Walker is an American bluegrass and country music singer and songwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Front Country</span> American folk pop band

Front Country is an American folk pop band founded in 2011 in San Francisco, California and now based in Nashville, Tennessee. The band consists of lead vocalist and songwriter Melody Walker, mandolinist Adam Roszkiewicz, and lead guitarist Jacob Groopman. In a special feature on April 5, 2017, NPR's All Things Considered categorized their music as "String-Band Pop". Wonderland (magazine) praised their 2020 release Impossible World for "continuing to push the envelope on their sound while staying true to their roots."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyler Childers</span> American singer and songwriter

Timothy Tyler Childers is an American singer and songwriter. His music is a mix of neotraditional country, bluegrass, and folk. He released his breakthrough album Purgatory in August 2017. Childers has released five studio albums and a number of EPs and singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nefesh Mountain</span> Jewish-bluegrass band

Nefesh Mountain is a New York based progressive bluegrass band that bridges elements of American folk and Appalachian bluegrass with Celtic folk and Eastern European melodies. The band first emerged in 2015 with their eponymous debut Nefesh Mountain, followed by their second release Beneath The Open Sky featuring bluegrass veterans Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Tony Trischka and David Grier. Their most recent album Songs For The Sparrows was recorded at Sound Emporium Studios in Nashville, TN and features Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Bryan Sutton, John Doyle, and Mike McGoldrick among others. The band has also showcased for the International Bluegrass Music Association, Americana Music Association, and Folk Alliance International.

<i>Arm in Arm</i> 2020 studio album by Steep Canyon Rangers

Arm in Arm is the 13th studio album by American bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers. It was released on October 16, 2020 through Yep Roc Records. The album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Bluegrass Albums chart, and spent 16 consecutive weeks on the chart. Arm in Arm also reached No. 4 on the Americana/Folk Albums chart, No. 10 on the Current Country Albums chart, and No. 24 on the Record Label Independent Albums chart.

<i>Calling Me Home</i> (Kathy Mattea album) 2012 studio album by Kathy Mattea

Calling Me Home is a studio album by American country artist, Kathy Mattea. It was released on September 11, 2012 via Sugar Hill Records and contained 12 tracks. It was Mattea's second collection of Appalachian and bluegrass music. Its themes focused on coal mining and ways people experienced living in the Appalachian Mountains. Calling Me Home appeared on both the American country albums and bluegrass albums charts following its release. It was received favorably by music critics.

References

  1. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 223.
  2. ↑ Elliott performing Every Man For Himself
  3. ↑ Folkworld Review
  4. ↑ Cub Creek homepage
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.