This past few years have seen a number of stories about bluegrass vocalist and bandleader Mark Newton, but sadly most were not about new music or new career achievements. They tended to focus on the severe health problems that had plagued him for a decade or more, culminating in lifesaving transplant surgery and a new lease on life.
Mark has never shied away from describing his surgeries, for a liver and a kidney transplant, as miraculous cures. He told me directly that he should be dead, and in fact came quite close to it a number of times in the hospital, all resulting from a serious case of Hepatitis C which wasn’t diagnosed for some time after he first fell ill.
But all that is behind him now, and with renewed vigor and energy, Newton is ready to get back on the horse and start touring again. He’s hoping that his record with groundbreaking acts like The Knoxville Grass, Heights of Grass, and The Virginia Squires, plus his own successful solo and collaboration projects, will provide a ready welcome for his return.
A new version of The Mark Newton Band has been assembled, with Clay Hess on guitar, John Wheat on banjo, Darrell Turnbull on mandolin, and Brennan Hess on bass. All are grade A pros and Mark can’t wait to get back out there and show everyone he ain’t dead yet!
More information about Mark and his music, including contact details about bringing him in for a show, can be found online.
