Bill Cunningham
From:
Atlanta, Ga. USA
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Posted 20 Jun 2015 2:54 am |
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Our Georgia Association has a program to honor Georgia steel guitar legends. This elite group includes Mac Atcheson, Garland Nash and several others. Here is our web page with the complete list.http://www.georgiasteelguitar.com/Legends.htm
Please congratulate this year's honoree, Mark van Allen! Here is Mark's bio that will be added to the web site.
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Mark van Allen grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan and has been a mainstay on the Atlanta, Georgia scene since 1989.
Mark took piano lessons as a child, and played trumpet and french horn in junior high school. But he says he never really made a personal connection with music until he started playing blues and ragtime guitar around 1974. Mark had heard and liked pedal steel, but when he heard Buddy Emmons' version of "Wichita Lineman" on the Suite Steel LP, it was all over! He bought a Sho-Bud Maverick and joined his first band that same day. The band had a gig the next weekend, so it was a case of "learn to play or get firedâ€! I certainly had an incentive to practice. Going on 40 years and many bands later, Mark says “I'm still in love with the steel guitar.â€
Mark attended Jeff Newman’s first advanced/teachers’ class in Nashville in 1976.
Mark has played in 48 states and 28 countries, many of those on entertainment tours for the Department of Defense. Along the way, he added guitar, Dobro, lap steel, mandolin, bass, and music production and engineering to his musical tool bag.
Probably Mark’s most unique contribution is his taking of the steel guitar into so many non-traditional settings. This includes work with Blueground Undergrass, The Indigo Girls, Buddy Miles, Government Mule, Leftover Salmon, Bruce Hampton, and Percy Sledge. Other bands and artists Mark has recorded and worked with include John Berry, Sugarland, Vassar Clements, Shawn Mullins, Jimmy Herring, Jan Smith, Hank Thompson, Melba Montgomery, Mark Wills, Travis Tritt, John Cowan, Zac Brown, Lee Roy Parnell, Jim Lauderdale, Nat Stuckey, Guy Clark, and Peter Rowan.
Mark has worked on hundreds of recording sessions since 1975. He was also a staff writer for Pedal Steel.US magazine and has written articles and educational pieces for GIG Magazine and the Pedal Steel Guitar Association magazine. Over the past few years he has produced a number of instructional courses for Pedal Steel Guitar, Dobro, and other instruments.
These days Mark splits his time between live gigs with the band Saint Francis from Athens, GA, session work in my own Music Farm Studios and around the area, teaching, and producing music instruction CDs.
Bill Cunningham
President, GaSGA
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Bill Cunningham
Atlanta, GA |
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Mark van Allen
From:
Watkinsville, Ga. USA
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Posted 22 Jun 2015 8:37 am
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Thanks so much, Bill, Todd, Chuck! I was really touched, humbled and grateful when Bill first informed me of this award. It's great to be recognized for musical efforts, but so much more meaningful and moving when it comes from a group of peers. Mac Atcheson, Garland Nash, and Randy Sorrels were all dear friends, mentors and heroes of mine, and to be included in such a group of stellar performers and fine gentlemen is indeed moving.
Thanks so much to the whole Georgia Steel Guitar Association, with sincere gratitude!
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Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com
www.musicfarmstudio.com |
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