Mark Stanley Bio

 

Being born and raised in the "Birthplace of Jazz" (New Orleans, Louisiana), Mark's parents introduced him, early on, to many of the jazz legends.  Music from big band leaders Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman, and vocalists Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, and Peggy Lee, were a few of the greats he teethed on.  Birthday and holiday gifts were an "easy buy," as Mark developed an insatiable appetite for "records, and more records" of  "anything jazz," from instrumentalists Charlie Byrd, Floyd Cramer and Wes Montgomery, as well as New Orleans legends Louis Armstrong, Pete Fountain and Al Hirt.

 

During the formative years,  Mark followed the music of the great R&B performers, such as The Temptations, Booker T, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Barry White, Tower of Power, and Otis Redding.  As a band leader in his high school and college days, his was the only band playing the music of Gabor Szabo right alongside that of the Beatles, the Doors, and Hendrix!  As time passed, the focus on jazz came together by hearing the vocal and instrumental music of Isaac Hayes.

 

Fresh out of school, Mark joined a local radio station as a newsman, but soon moved to "the other side of the glass" (as it was discovered that he had "too much personality" for news), and has since worked almost every musical format and time slot.  Mark says his most memorable experience in radio was almost being fired for “slipping” the likes of Ronnie Laws, Donald Byrd, Hubert Laws, and BB King into the playlist at the rock station he worked for in the mid-70's (although the ratings did improve!).

 

Mark moved to advertising and television, producing and directing live TV, and was the staff announcer for a major U.S. cable network. After working in Smooth Jazz radio in its infancy, Mark has continued, through the upcoming years, to provide free-lance services in radio/TV consulting and work as a voice-over artist.

 

Mark is currently the host and producer of The Journey podcast, which is experiencing worldwide acclaim, as he "gives back," and is dedicated to coaching those seeking life and career changes. The Journey is found online at www.markstanleymedia.com .

 

Throughout the years, holding faithful to his humble childhood beginnings, Mark is still the avid fan of Jazz, R&B, and soul music, and hosts "SoundTraxx With Mark Stanley,” a 2-hour weekly radio show heard on satellite, terrestrial FM, and internet radio stations across the globe.