His email moniker says it all – blues dude. He’s Mark May, a homegrown “dude” who plays the blues around the country.
“I do it because I love it,” he said, “and I love how music touches the heart and soul. Nothing makes me happier than someone coming up and saying they played my music at their party, or that one of songs helped them through a hard time in life.”
He started his blues band, Mark May and the Agitators, in the early 90s.
“We decided to record an album,” he said. “I sent the cassette out to every blues record label I could find and got a bunch of rejection letters but finally landed a deal with the Memphis-based record company, Icehouse Records, and my first CD came out in 1995. When you sign a deal, they expect you to tour and support the record, so I’ve been a full-time musician ever since.”
May has toured with groups like The Allman Brothers Band, Charlie Daniels, 38 Special and The Doobie Brothers. He now has 7 albums out, the latest, “Deep Dark Demon,” hit number 2 on the Billboard Blues chart. He was recently inducted into the Columbus Blues Hall of Fame.
“I just turned 60,” May responded, “but still feel like I have more music to write and more notes to play. I think if it’s in your blood you never really stop.”
“I think I’m stuck with it,” he concluded with a laugh, “and probably too old to do anything else.”
Mark May appears Saturday, March 9th.