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To add to his credits, Elizabeth Sabine (the "Grandmother of Rock and Roll") asked Mark, along with other outstanding artists, to become part of her Vocal Series of recordings. Elizabeth adamantly expressed her belief that, "Mark is...here on the planet with us to serve a greater purpose. More recently, it seems that the music world is beginning to embrace Mark's new material. One of the cuts off SHAME (Sweet Loving, God Fearing, Hard Working, Homegrown Man) has picked up German airplay at QUER 104.6 by discjockey, Armin Straub. Mark is also hard at work with Beach Boys drummer, Bobby Figueroa, laying down tracks forn his new album. In the past, Mark became somewhat disillusioned with the scene and took a long hiatus. He now feels that it was a break worth taking. "My dream," he says, "is to connect with as many people as I possibly can through my music...and to create a place where I can share it without interference." After listening to his work, one would have to agree - he is well on his way to doing just that. Another thing one would have to agree on - it is only just the beginning. Upon listening to singer/songwriter, Mark Johnson's new release SHAME, one certainly gets to the heart of the matter quickly – heart being the key word. A lofty hybrid of acoustic pop and rock with a twist of blues – the CD is an emotionally driven collection about "...scattered pieces of life. Born in Santa Maria, California, Mark moved to No Cal searching for his niche in life. At sixteen, he picked up a friend's guitar and fueled his pulse and he has never looked back. Experimenting and exploring, he soon joined various notable local music projects including Northern Californian heroes, Onyx and Cheata. This served as a training ground for the future. Later years found him down in Southern California, simultaneously while working with a few projects. Denmark, a popular trio in the Sunset Strip circuit, thought enough about Mark's vocal abilities to ask him to front the band as lead singer. The foursome, now known as Forte, broadened and strengthened their fan base by doing so. During their notorious term, the band performed at countless clubs such as The Roxy, The Whiskey, The Marquee, and as house band at LA's famed Fantasia Club, where they shared stages with numerous national and local acts such as Tuff, Xyz and Roger Winfield.