Mark grew up in New Orleans, surrounded by the music of artists such as Pete Fountain, Al Hirt, and Louis Armstrong. His first instrument was actually the trumpet. Despite the early exposure to New Orleans jazz and funk, his discovery of the Beatles made it clear that the trumpet just wasn't going to work. The guitar, on the other hand, could belt out rock and roll, impress your 11-year old friends, and didn't need a spit valve. The choice was clear.

Throughout high school and college, Mark spent his free time learning guitar by trying to emulate the styles and sounds of players like Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Tom Sholz, Alex Lifeson, Steve Morse, and Alan Holdsworth.

Mark received a Bachelor of Science and Electrical Engineering from the University of New Orleans, and began working full time as an engineer at a local electronics company, playing music strictly as a hobby in various cover bands.

When the opportunity to play professionally in Las Vegas with YBR appeared, Mark jumped at the chance, and relocated in 2000. Mark is a technical guru. His ability to recreate the guitar sounds for every song YBR plays is amazing, all done without the use of a live amplifier. While most guitarists are stuck with one sound the entire night, Mark is able to jump from song to song and have the perfect tone, which is essential to the overall sound. But getting the tone is only half the battle. Mark continues to amaze audiences with note-for-note recreations of some of the toughest guitar solos in rock history, sometimes even producing a solo with three-part harmonies! Mark's extensive efforts into his recreations of the songs are one of the main reasons people swear that YBR sounds "just like the record". View David St. John's Bio >>