Mark Collie


George Mark Collie is an American country music singer, songwriter, musician, actor, record producer, and fundraiser for Type 1 diabetes study. He has won awards and acclaim for his music, his acting, and his philanthropy. His singing career has included five major-label albums: four for MCA Nashville and one for Giant Records. Sixteen of his singles have charted on Hot Country Songs, including the top ten hits "Even the Man in the Moon Is Cryin'" and "Born to Love You".
Collie has also written songs for Aaron Tippin, Alabama, Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, and JT Hodges. His acting career includes roles in Fire Down Below, The Punisher, and Kill Switch.

Singing career

From the beginnings of his performing and recording career, Collie's singing and performing style drew comparisons to Bruce Springsteen and Johnny Cash as a result of Collie’s combination of Rockabilly energy, intensity, and clever songwriting.

''Hardin County Line'' and ''Born and Raised in Black & White''

Collie began his career on MCA Records in 1989 after being discovered by label representatives. Tony Brown, then-president of the label, helped Collie secure his contract. His debut album Hardin County Line was released in 1990, with Brown and Doug Johnson co-producing. The album produced four singles: "Something with a Ring to It", "Looks Aren't Everything", the title track, and "Let Her Go", which was the highest-charting of the four, at #18 on Hot Country Songs. Its B-side, "Where There's Smoke", was later a Top 40 single for Archer/Park in 1994.
His second album, Born and Raised in Black & White, produced Top 40 singles in "Calloused Hands" and "She's Never Comin' Back", while "It Don't Take a Lot" peaked at #70. Steve Huey of Allmusic described the album as "more polished" than its predecessor.

''Mark Collie'' and ''Unleashed''

Collie's third album for MCA, Mark Collie, was produced by Don Cook. It accounted for his two highest-charting singles: "Even the Man in the Moon Is Cryin'" at #5, and "Born to Love You" at #6. After those two songs, "Shame Shame Shame Shame" and "Something's Gonna Change Her Mind" both made top 30 as well. Brian Mansfield wrote that the album was "At once a move to the mainstream and a return to Collie's West Tennessee rockabilly roots."
Unleashed, was released in 1994. Its first single, "It Is No Secret", failed to make Top 40, while the only other release, "Hard Lovin' Woman", made #13. The album included guest vocals from Deborah Allen, Carlene Carter, and James House.

Mid 1990s-present

Collie signed to Giant Records in 1995. His only album for the label was Tennessee Plates, which Collie co-produced with James Stroud. Its two charting singles were "Three Words, Two Hearts, One Night", his last Top 40 entry on the country chart, and "Steady as She Goes". After these two songs, he charted at #72 with "Love to Burn", which he recorded for the Columbia Records multi-artist compilation NASCAR: Hotter than Asphalt. Collie covered Jim Croce's "Rapid Roy " on the 1997 tribute album '. In 1998, MCA released a budget-line compilation titled Even the Man in the Moon Is Cryin, which comprised several of his MCA singles.
He did not release another album until
Rose Covered Garden in 2006. A live album, Alive at Brushy Mountain'', was released in 2012.
He has performed onstage with many artists including Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, and Johnny Cash. He continues to tour actively both in the U.S. and Europe.
In September 2013 Collie signed to 101 Ranch records and was the first artist signed to them. "I'm thrilled to have a new home with 101 Ranch Records and to be working with a terrific team with Doug, Bob and Tammy," says Mark Collie. "There are some new and exciting projects coming up on the horizon that I look forward to debuting with the label."

Songwriting and producing

Collie's songwriting credits include Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Alabama, and George Jones. He is also noted with writing songs for Hollywood Movies such as Lions Gate's The Punisher starring John Travolta and Fire Down Below starring Steven Seagal.
In addition to his own recordings, Collie has produced or co-produced albums for Brandt Vogel, JT Hodges, Kyle Sherman, and the Horn Family.

Acting

Collie has acted in television series and movies, independent features and Hollywood feature films. Starting in 1994 and continuing to present Collie has played a variety of characters including in 1999, Johnny Cash in the short I Still Miss Someone which he also co-wrote and co-produced with filmmaker John Lloyd Miller. Collie has appeared as Frankie Gray on the ABC series Nashville. Collie had a small role as assassin Harry Heck, where he played a song called "In Time" in front of Castle, in 2004's The Punisher.

Philanthropy

Collie was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a teenager and in the early 1990s after finding success as a country music singer Collie began a series of celebrity/NASCAR events that included Legend Car races and concerts that have raised millions of dollars for research into a cure for Type 1 juvenile diabetes. Collie's efforts have resulted in a research Chair at Vanderbilt University, The Mark Collie Chair in Diabetes Research, and his Mark Collie Foundation continues to generate donations.
In February 1991 Collie was part of a filmed benefit concert in Nashville's Centennial Park along with George Jones to salute American troops in Operation Desert Storm. The concert was filmed by director John Lloyd Miller and distributed for free to Armed Forces Television and to United States troops throughout the Middle East.
On April 3, 1996 Aaron Tippin and Mark Collie helped organize and load a cargo plane with 25,000 country cassettes for free distribution to United States troops in Bosnia and was later awarded The American Spirit Award by the United States Air Force for his efforts.
Collie has performed at benefits throughout his career for a diverse collection of causes including The Nashville Food Bank, The Blue Note Fund, Fallen Police, and Victims of Domestic Violence among others.

Personal life

In February 2001 Mark Collie delivered the eulogy for race car legend Dale Earnhardt at a memorial service that included performances by Vince Gill and Steve Wariner at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
Collie married longtime girlfriend Tammy Stewart at a private ceremony in Columbia, Tennessee, on October 24, 2009. The two split their time between their home in Fort Worth, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee.
He is of Scotch-Irish, German and Japanese descent.

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

Singles

Miscellaneous appearances

Filmography

Source:

YearTitleRoleType
2012Deep Dark CanyonSoundtrackfeature
2008Kill SwitchBilly Joe Hillfeature
2008A Father's RightsDet. Eddie Robertsfeature
2004The PunisherHarry Heckfeature
2004The PunisherSoundtrackfeature
2003Peak Experience E. Z. Ferrisfeature
2003Roper and GoodieRoperfeature
2001Ask Me No QuestionsSean JohnsonTV movie
2000JAG: A Separate PieceLot AttendantTV series
2000JerichoJohnny 'Ofeature
2000Certain GuysRedneckfeature
2000Johnny Cash: Half A Mile A Dayhimselfdocumentary
1999The Strip: Send Me An AngelTV series
1999The Strip: Games Without FrontiersTV series
1999The Kid With X-Ray EyesMorganfeature
1999I Still Miss SomeoneJohnny Cashshort film
1999Mr. GarrickTV movie
1999Crook & ChasehimselfTV series
1998Early Edition: In Gary We TrustCPD DetectiveTV series
1998Walker Texas Ranger: Paradise TrailDanny TarpinTV series
1998Crook & ChasehimselfTV series
1998I Give My Heart To YouThe Mechanicshort
1997Fire Down BelowHatchfeature
1997Fire Down BelowSoundtrackfeature
1997Crook & ChasehimselfTV series
1996Prime Time CountryhimselfTV series
1996Crook & ChasehimselfTV series
1995Loretta Lynn & FriendshimselfTV series
1994XXX & OOOcameo appearancefeature
1993The Tonight Show With Jay LenohimselfTV series
1993Regis & Kathie LeehimselfTV series
1992Hee HawhimselfTV series

Music videos


YearVideoDirector
2008"Dare The World"
John Lloyd Miller
1997"Fire Down Below" Steven R. Monroe
1997"Rapid Roy "Tom Bevins
1996"Lipstick Don't Lie"Steven T. Miller/R. Brad Murano
1995"Hard Lovin' Woman"John Lloyd Miller
1995"Three Words, Two Hearts, One Night"John Lloyd Miller
1994"It Is No Secret"John Lloyd Miller
1993"Born to Love You"John Lloyd Miller
1993"Shame Shame Shame Shame"Mark "Aldo" Miceli
1992"She's Never Comin' Back"John Lloyd Miller
1992"Even the Man in the Moon Is Cryin'"John Lloyd Miller
1991"Let Her Go"John Lloyd Miller
1990"Something with a Ring to It"John Lloyd Miller
1990"Looks Aren't Everything"John Lloyd Miller
1990"Hardin County Line"John Lloyd Miller

Awards


YearTitleTypeAwardNotes
2006Tennessean of the YearPhilanthropyTennessean of the Year, State of Tennessee
1999I Still Miss SomeoneShort filmBest Short Film, New York Independent Film Festival
1999I Still Miss SomeoneShort filmBest Short Film, Yahoo! Online Film Festival
1999I Still Miss SomeoneShort filmBest Short Film, Atlantic City Film Festival
1999I Still Miss SomeoneShort filmNashville Film Festival
-Best Film
-Best Short Film
1999I Still Miss SomeoneShort filmMethod Fest, Best Actor
1999I Still Miss SomeoneShort filmZoie Fest
-Best Picture, Dramatic Short
-Audience Award, Best Short Film
1999I Still Miss SomeoneShort filmBest Narrative Short, South by Southwest
1999I Still Miss SomeoneShort filmBest Short Film, Oberhausen International Festival
1996US Air ForcePhilanthropyAmerican Spirit Award
1994Born To Love YouAlbumBMI Award
1994Hard Lovin WomanAlbumBMI Millionaire Award
1994Country Music Hall of FameMusicCountry Music Walkway of Stars
1993Even the Man in the Moon Is Cryin'AlbumASCAP Pop Music Award