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 bassout of the music.” In 1988, BrownMark landed arecording 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.
