Mark Brown (BrownMark) spent most of his life in
Minneapolis, Minnesota where, in the 80's, the
Minneapolis music scene took America by storm
with its unique blend of Rock and R&B. BrownMark
grew up with musicians such as Prince, Jimmy Jam
and Terry Lewis, Morris Day and Alexander O'Neil
who laid the foundation for his advancements in his
production skills and musical theory.
In 1981, BrownMark made his debut with Prince
on the "Controversy" tour. For seven and a half
years, he honed skills as a bassist for Prince and the
Revolution and soon became known for his funky
bass playing. Prince quoted in a Rolling Stone article
that "without BrownMark on bass," he would "take bass
out of the music." In 1988, BrownMark landed a
recording contract with Motown. This career move was
fueled by a track record of proven successes with the
rock group, Mazarati (one of BrownMark's creations),
Chico DeBarge, Troop, Georgio, Stacy Latisaw,
Teen Dream, Sheila E., and LakeSide, to name a few.
BrownMark debuted his solo album "Just Like That" on
Motown in the late 80's with the single "Next Time."
His second CD release on Motown was titled "Bang Bang."
Collaborating with his former boss, Prince, BrownMark
attempted to reintroduce himself as the funky bassist
he was known to be.
To add to the list of his accomplishments, BrownMark
received two Grammy Awards and two American Music
Awards for his contributions to the "Purple Rain" movie
soundtrack. He also had the privilege of performing with
the talented Stevie Wonder and Stevie Ray Vaughn,
along with Salt 'n' Pepa and Jodie Watley in an MTV special.
He again had the honor of performing with Stevie Wonder
at his "Character Party." BrownMark has also shared the
stage with Sting, Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones,
Q-Tip, and Doug E. Fresh.
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