Mark Hart

Hart was born on July 2, 1953 in Fort Scott, Kansas and grew up there. He has an older brother, Kelly, and an older sister, Millicent. From the age of seven years, Hart received piano lessons and followed by learning guitar some years later. Hart studied classical music at college, and then worked as a full-time session musician with varied artists.

In 1982 he formed Combonation which issued its debut eponymous album in 1984 on Warner Bros. Records – it was produced by Ted Templeman (Van Halen).^[1] Hart provided vocals, guitar and keyboards - other members were Steve Dudas on guitar, Randy Foote on percussion and backing vocals, Rick Moors on bass guitar and Billy Thomas on drums and backing vocals.^[1] All members of the band co-wrote the group's material, in varying combinations, but the group split after the album failed commercially.

Hart began his association with British rock band Supertramp in 1986, initially as a studio and touring musician, taking on the vocal and keyboard parts previously done by Roger Hodgson. He provided guitar, keyboards, lead and backing vocals for their album, Free as a Bird, which was issued in October 1987.^[2] He again participated on the ensuing tour, which was recorded on the album Live '88.

Hart also shared the same manager as pop-rockers Crowded House, who suggested he fill in for their keyboardist Eddie Rayner with session work for the band after they experienced difficulties working together. In 1991 Hart contributed to Woodface as a session musician, later joining the band as a touring member when Tim Finn left.^[3][4] In 1993 Hart was credited as a full member for Together Alone.^[3] He stayed with the band after founding drummer Paul Hester left,^[3] and is seen along with the group's founders Neil Finn and Nick Seymour in the photographs from the sleeve for Recurring Dream, the 1996 greatest hits album. Hart played with the band during their farewell concert on the steps of the Sydney Opera House in November 1996, known as Farewell to the World.^[3][4]

In 1993 Hart contributed to the debut album, Hang Out Your Poetry, by Ceremony (see Chaz Bono), providing electric guitar, harmonium, Mellotron, organ, Hammond organ, piano, backing vocals, Wurlitzer and co-composing tracks.^[5] Also that year Tim Finn issued his solo album, Before & After, with Hart and former Combonation bandmate Dudas providing instrumentation, Hart also co-produced two tracks with Finn.^[6]

Following the first demise of Crowded House, Hart stated that he thought the band had more in them. He later joined Neil Finn on stage for some of Finn's solo concerts supporting his debut solo album Try Whistling This in 1998. Following this, Hart rejoined Supertramp -- now as a full official member -- recording the studio albums Some Things Never Change, to which he also contributed as a writer, and Slow Motion, plus the live album It Was the Best of Times. During this time, Hart also produced more works for Tim Finn. In 2001 Hart released his debut solo album Nada Sonata.

Hart has scored the motion pictures Life Among the Cannibals (1996) and Mockingbird Don't Sing (2001) both directed by Harry Bromley Davenport.

Hart on lap steel, September 2010.

Supertramp became inactive after their 2002 tour, and when the band reformed for a series of shows in 2010-11, Hart was no longer a part of the group. However, Hart kept busy as a member of Ringo Starr’s backing band in the 2000s. Hart also contributed keyboards and piano to the 2006 debut album by Australian band Howling Bells.

In January 2007, Neil Finn announced the reformation of Crowded House with Hart, Nick Seymour, and a new drummer, Matt Sherrod (ex-Beck). They released a new album, Time on Earth, and embarked on a year-long world tour. The album was initially intended to be Finn's third solo album, but was converted to a Crowded House album late in the sessions. As a result, Hart contributed on only four songs to the new album. Both he and Sherrod fully contributed to the next album, Intriguer, which was released in June 2010 and both are on the DVD supplements to that album.

After 2010, Crowded House went on indefinite hiatus, although they played Sydney again in 2016 before going on hiatus once again. During this interval, Hart's second solo album The Backroom appeared in 2014. Supertramp was then scheduled for a European tour in 2015, in which Hart was to have taken part, but the entire tour was cancelled due to illness on the part of lead singer Rick Davies. Supertramp have not been active since.

Shortly after it was announced that Crowded House would resume operations and perform at Byron Bay Bluesfest in 2020, Hart announced via his Twitter account that Neil Finn had chosen not to include him in the band anymore. Hart and drummer Matt Sherrod were replaced by Neil Finn's sons - Liam and Elroy - and Mitchell Froom.

Discover more about Biography related topics

Fort Scott, Kansas

Fort Scott, Kansas

Fort Scott is a city in and the county seat of Bourbon County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 7,552. It is named for Gen. Winfield Scott. The city is located 88 miles (142 km) south of Kansas City on the Marmaton River. It is the home of the Fort Scott National Historic Site and the Fort Scott National Cemetery.

Classical music

Classical music

Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also applies to non-Western art music. Classical music is often characterized by formality and complexity in its musical form and harmonic organization, particularly with the use of polyphony. Since at least the ninth century it has been primarily a written tradition, spawning a sophisticated notational system, as well as accompanying literature in analytical, critical, historiographical, musicological and philosophical practices. A foundational component of Western Culture, classical music is frequently seen from the perspective of individual or groups of composers, whose compositions, personalities and beliefs have fundamentally shaped its history.

Session musician

Session musician

Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a tour. Session musicians are usually not permanent or official members of a musical ensemble or band. They work behind the scenes and rarely achieve individual fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders. However, top session musicians are well known within the music industry, and some have become publicly recognized, such as the Wrecking Crew, the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and The Funk Brothers who worked with Motown Records.

Eponym

Eponym

An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include eponymous and eponymic.

Roger Hodgson

Roger Hodgson

Charles Roger Pomfret Hodgson is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the former co-frontman and founding member of progressive rock band Supertramp. Hodgson composed and sang the majority of the band’s hits, including "Dreamer", "Give a Little Bit", "Take the Long Way Home", "The Logical Song", "It's Raining Again", and "Breakfast in America."

Free as a Bird (album)

Free as a Bird (album)

Free as a Bird is the ninth studio album by the English rock band Supertramp, released in October 1987, and their last album of new music for A&M Records.

Live '88 (Supertramp album)

Live '88 (Supertramp album)

Live '88 is the second live album by the English rock band Supertramp released in October 1988 on A&M Records.

Crowded House

Crowded House

Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in 1985. Its founding members were New Zealander Neil Finn and Australians Paul Hester (drums) and Nick Seymour (bass). Later band members include Neil Finn's brother, Tim Finn and sons Liam and Elroy, as well as Americans Mark Hart and Matt Sherrod, with Neil Finn and Nick Seymour being the sole constant members of the group since its formation.

Eddie Rayner

Eddie Rayner

Anthony Edward Charles Rayner is a New Zealand musician who spent twelve years as a keyboardist in the band Split Enz. He has also played in the groups Orb, Space Waltz, Crowded House, The Makers, The Angels in 1986-1987 and 801.

Paul Hester

Paul Hester

Paul Newell Hester was an Australian musician and television personality. He was the drummer for the band Split Enz for a short time in 1984, and co-founding member and drummer of the rock group Crowded House.

Neil Finn

Neil Finn

Neil Mullane Finn is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and musician who is known for being a member of Split Enz, Crowded House and Fleetwood Mac. Finn rose to prominence in the late 1970s with Split Enz and wrote many of the band's most successful songs, including "One Step Ahead", "History Never Repeats", "I Got You", and "Message to My Girl".

Nick Seymour

Nick Seymour

Nicholas More Seymour is an Australian musician and record producer. He is the founding bass guitarist and a mainstay of the rock group Crowded House, and is the younger brother of Mark Seymour, singer-songwriter-guitarist in the rock band Hunters and Collectors.

Year	Title	Label
2002	Nada Sonata	PSB Records
2014	The Backroom	PSB Records