The Music

Mark graduated from high school in 1975 and at the age of 17 knew that being a musician was what he wanted to do for a living. Like all teens Mark had to explore. For him this was listening to the wave of musicians from the English rock invasion to Jimi Hendrix. But Bluegrass was in Mark’s soul and he could not stay away for long. “I was raised on this music, it was my roots and I think most people come back to their roots.”

When Mark decided to enter into the music industry, he did so with “110 percent” support of his parents. “My mom and dad never said, ‘No, you need to go to college.’” Their reaction was one of, what can we do to help. This ‘how can I help’ attitude has extended to his marriage and his wife’s family. Mark has been married to his wife, Tami, for 19 years and they have a 13 year old daughter, Carly. His wife knew that he was a full-time musician and understood what the profession required. Normal for the Newton family is Mark being on the road from Thursday to Monday, traveling in three different states and then having their ‘weekend’ during the week. He would then be back on the road again by Thursday or Friday. “My family is supportive and it is with this stability that it works.” 

In the mid-70’s, Mark joined his first band called Cabin Hill, then in 1976 became a member of the band, Heights of Grass. Two years later he joined the Knoxville Grass and in 1981 reunited with the Heights of Grass. It was in 1983, that Mark and four of the original members of the Heights of Grass formed the Virginia Squires.

The Virginia Squires performed together for about 5 years. Mark describes the band as “contemporary” bluegrass, which was not accepted at the time by the main stream bluegrass establishment and that the Virginia Squires were a “little ahead” of their time. However, it was with the Virginia Squires that Mark’s career went on the fast track of success. So it was understandable that when the Virginia Squires disbanded in 1988, that Mark went through a down period in his life and in his musical career. Mark says, “The hard part with the breakup was the emotional part. It took perseverance after the Squires to adjust. I had to sort through my mind.” He moved home for about a year not knowing in which direction his career was heading.  However, Mark never left music completely. Even during this period in his life he worked at Picker’s Supply Music Store in Fredericksburg. “God Bless, Pickers Supply, they were always taking in out of work musicians letting us sell and teach.” It was after this “mending” period that Mark realized he wanted back into music and that opportunities existed for him.  In 1990, Mark formed Mark Newton Entertainment and began promoting the Graves Mountain Lodge Festival in Syria, Virginia marking his serious re-entry into Bluegrass Music.

Mark has recorded over thirty records during his career. In 1998 he recorded his first solo album “Living a Dream”, which is a compilation with Bill Emerson, Ralph Stanley, Tony Rice, Dudley Connell and others. It was the release party for this album, at the Birchmere Theater, that he recalls as a highlight performance for him.  Everyone who sang on the album was at the Birchmere and performed with Mark. They did the live performance exactly as the album had been recorded. It was so successful that he repeated it again in 1999 when Mark and The Mark Newton Band along with artist’s Rhonda Vincent, Lynn Morris, Claire Lynch, Dale Ann Bradley and other well known female artists recorded and released “Follow Me Back to the Fold”. This album won the 2001 IBMA award for the Recorded Event of the Year.