Mark Fosson

Mark Fosson is a singer-songwriter and American Primitive guitarist who grew up in Kentucky, where he began writing songs while he was still in his early teens. In the late 1970s he sent some song demos to John Fahey's West Coast-based Takoma Records, and Fahey, impressed with what he heard, offered Fosson a recording deal. Fosson lost no time in relocating to Los Angeles and began recording, but as bad luck would have it, Takoma was in some difficulty, and the label soon folded. Fahey allowed Fosson to retain the master tapes of the sessions, however.

Now located on the West Coast, Fosson met fellow songwriter Edward Tree, and the two began working together, forming the Bum Steers, a country-tinged group, in the late 1980s, eventually being invited to play the Grand Ol' Opry at the request of Porter Wagoner. 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 artists like Ramblin' Jack Elliot, Joe Ely, John Prine and Guy Clark. 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" is included on Volume 3 of the highly acclaimed Imaginational Anthem acoustic guitar compilation from Tompkins Square Records.

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", his newest collection of instrumentals.

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" - Tompkins Square Records 2008
• "Hillbilly Hucklebuck" - The Bum Steers - Western Beat Records 2008
• "Digging In The Dust" - Tompkins Square Records 2012
• "kY" - Big Otis Records 2015

External links

• https://markfosson.bandcamp.com/album/ky
• https://thebumsteers.bandcamp.com/
• http://www.northcountryprimitive.com/blog/i-have-at-least-five-albums-worth-of-material-yet-to-record-an-interview-with-mark-fosson
• http://ironpostblog.com/2015/10/26/mark-fosson-ky-2/
• http://wajobu.com/2015/08/05/mark-fosson-ky/