Member Profile

Mark W. Winchester: bio

Mark W. Winchester, singer, hit songwriter, accomplished and award winning upright bass player, combines all his talent and experience as a performer to bring his own unique brand of entertainment to the musical stage.

Mark W. landed in Nashville in 1987 and became a founding member of the Planet Rockers, forerunners of Nashville's roots rock revival. The Planet Rockers(which also included the legendary Sonny George and Los Straitjackets' Eddie Angel) remain rockabilly cult favorites. Following his run with The Planet Rockers, Emmylou Harris enlisted Mark W. to "slap" the upright bass in her Grammy Award-winning all acoustic band, the Nash Ramblers. He did so from 1991 to 1994.

A meeting with former Stray Cats front man Brian Setzer led to the next phase of Mark W.'s career. In Nashville to record a TV show, setzer saw Mark W., slappin' and twirlin' the doghouse bass in the house band. One year later, Mark W. played bass on the multi-million selling, Grammy-winning, "Jump, Jive, and Wail", and became a full time member of the Brian Setzer Orchestra, from 1997-2001. Throughout his tenure with the Orchestra, Setzer encouraged Mark W. to "step out front", even asking him to sing his own composition "Rooster Rock" on the Setzer release "Ignition" (surf dog).

Also an accomplished songwriter, Mark W. was signed to Starstruck Writers Group in 1994 and has had several cuts including Randy Travis' recording of his song "Would I?" which ranked in the top 20 of the Billboard Country charts.

Finally stepping out as a solo artist, this talented singer/songwriter/performer exudes the energy of his rockabilly roots while spinning out carefully crafted original songs and quirky tales. He is as unforgettable as he is indescribable...and a joy to see perform.