Mark Steed Fosson (May 16, 1950 – November 2, 2018) was an American singer-songwriter and American primitive guitarist who grew up in Ashland, Kentucky, where he began writing songs while he was still in his early teens. He got his start in the mid to late 1960s, playing in local rock bands until going into service with the

Air Force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...

in 1971, and returning home around 1974. In the late 1970s, he sent some song demos to John Fahey's West Coast-based

Takoma Records Takoma Records was a small but influential record label founded by guitarist John Fahey in the late 1950s.Porter Wagoner Porter Wayne Wagoner (August 12, 1927 – October 28, 2007) was an American country music singer known for his flashy Nudie and Manuel suits and blond pompadour. In 1967, he introduced singer Dolly Parton on his television show, ''The Por ...

. Fosson's material appeared on several soundtracks through the 1990s. In 2001, he began collaborating with singer-songwriter Lisa O'Kane, who recorded several of his songs, including the No. 1 European single "Little Black Cloud" and Fosson also began recording a solo project, ''Jesus on a Greyhound'', which was released on New Light Entertainment/Universal. The record drew positive reviews and Fosson was frequently compared to

Americana music Americana (also known as American roots music) is an amalgam of Music of the United States, American music formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the musical ethos of the United States of America, with particul ...

artists such as Ramblin' Jack Elliot,

Joe Ely Joe Ely (; born February 9, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was "one of the main movers" of Austin, Texas' progressive country scene in the 1970s and '80s. He has had a genre-crossing career, performing with Bruce ...

John Prine John Edward Prine (; October 10, 1946 – April 7, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter of country-folk music. Widely cited as one of the most influential songwriters of his generation, Prine was known for his signature blend of humoro ...

and

Guy Clark Guy Charles Clark (November 6, 1941 – May 17, 2016) was an American folk and country singer-songwriter and luthier. He released more than 20 albums, and his songs have been recorded by other artists, including Townes Van Zandt, Jerry Jeff ...

. The Fahey material finally saw the light of day as ''The Lost Takoma Sessions'' from Drag City Records in 2006. His song "Another Fine Day" was included on Volume 3 of the ''Imaginational Anthem'' acoustic guitar compilation from

Tompkins Square Records Tompkins Square Records is an independent record label producing new and archival releases of gospel, blues, jazz, and country music. History In 2005, Josh Rosenthal launched Tompkins Square Records in New York City after working 15 years in a v ...

. On June 26, 2012, Tompkins Square released ''Digging In The Dust'', a collection of early home recordings which led to Fosson's signing to Takoma Records. In May 2015, he released ''kY'', a collection of instrumentals inspired by his time growing up in Kentucky and, in July 2017, his final album, ''Solo Guitar'' was released on

Drag City Records Drag City is an American independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois, established in the city in 1989 by Dan Koretzky and Dan Osborn. It specializes in indie rock, noise rock, psychedelic folk, alternative country, and experimental music. ...

Death

On November 2, 2018, Fosson died of cancer in

Catonsville, Maryland Catonsville () is a census-designated place (CDP) in Baltimore County, Maryland, Baltimore County, Maryland. The population was 44,701 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 US Census. The community is a streetcar suburb of Baltimore along the cit ...

Discography

* ''The Bum Steers'' – Western Beat Records, 1995 * ''Live At Cafe Voltaire'' – The Bum Steers – Voltaire Records, 1996 * ''The Lost Takoma Sessions'' – Drag City Records, 2006 * ''Jesus On A Greyhound'' – Big Otis Records, 2007 * ''Imaginational Anthem Volume 3'' –

, 2008 * ''Hillbilly Hucklebuck'' – The Bum Steers – Western Beat Records, 2008 * ''Digging In The Dust'' – Tompkins Square Records, 2012 * ''kY'' – Big Otis Records, 2015 * ''Solo Guitar'' –

, 2017

References

External links

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fosson, Mark 1950 births 2018 deaths Americana musicians American country singer-songwriters American fingerstyle guitarists American folk guitarists American male guitarists Musicians from Ashland, Kentucky Musicians from Appalachia Country musicians from Kentucky Place of birth missing Singer-songwriters from Kentucky Folk musicians from Kentucky Guitarists from Kentucky Deaths from cancer in Maryland American male singer-songwriters