Mark Medlock
Mark Medlock is a German singer and the winner of the season 4 of Deutschland sucht den Superstar, the German version of Pop Idol.
Early life
Medlock is the elder of two siblings born to an African-American father from Georgia, Larry Medlock, and a German mother, Monika, in Frankfurt am Main, Hesse. Mark and his brother Larry were raised in a semi-poor home in the Lohwaldsiedlung neighborhood of Offenbach am Main during their formative years, before eventually moving to the Lauterborn neighborhood in 1997. At the age of six, Medlock began singing gospel, widely influenced by his father and soul singers such as James Brown and Barry White.At the end of the 1990s, his mother fell sick with cancer. Medlock subsequently left school and cared for her until her death in 2000. Two years later his father died of a heart attack. In the meantime Mark made a living with various jobs, including employment as a geriatric orderly, gardener, swamper and garbage remover.
''Deutschland sucht den Superstar''
Medlock was one of the favorite contestants right from the beginning of the competition. He had wowed the audience and the judges with his first performance in the Top 20 motto show and so on to the final. Medlock eventually won the competition with 78.02% of the votes against Martin Stosch who originally placed fourth but returned because of Max Buskohl's withdrawal.Medlock is next to season five winner Thomas Godoj the second contestant of all German seasons who always gained the majority of vote calls during any of the nine theme shows and the two Top 20 shows. He is also one of two winners who was revealed to have never been in the bottom 3 during the competition, as well as being the first multiracial winner.
Performances
| Theme of show | Song | Original interpreter | % Result |
| Greatest Hits | "Hello" | Lionel Richie | 25,85% |
| Hits from the 80s and 90s | "Unchain My Heart" | Joe Cocker | 30,77% |
| Power of Love | "Endless Love" | Lionel Richie & Diana Ross | 30,43% |
| Hits from today | "You Give Me Something" | James Morrison | 31,64% |
| Big Band | "Unforgettable" | Nat King Cole | 34,62% |
| The great divas and heroes of music | "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" | Marvin Gaye | 36,06% |
| The great divas and heroes of music | "Three Times a Lady" | Lionel Richie | 36,06% |
| Hits from the 70s, Disco und Dedicated to … | "You're the First, the Last, My Everything" | Barry White | 48,13% |
| Hits from the 70s, Disco und Dedicated to … | "Stand by Me" | Ben E. King | 48,13% |
| Songs suggested by jury | "You Can Leave Your Hat On" | Joe Cocker | 59,00% |
| Songs suggested by jury | "My Girl" | The Temptations | 59,00% |
| Songs suggested by jury | " The Dock of the Bay" | Otis Redding | 59,00% |
| Finale | "What a Wonderful World" | Louis Armstrong | 78,02% |
| Finale | "Easy" | The Commodores | 78,02% |
| Finale | "Now or Never" | Mark Medlock | 78,02% |
Discography
- Mr. Lonely
- Dreamcatcher
- Cloud Dancer
- Club Tropicana
- Rainbow's End
- My World
- Im Nebel
- Zwischenwelten