 The music of singer/songwriter Mark Collie was a lively blend of straight-ahead rock & roll and traditional country. He was born in Waynesboro, TN, one of six children, and grew up listening to country music. He was most influenced by the fiery piano playing of Jerry Lee Lewis, the guitar playing of Carl Perkins, and the songwriting skills of Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson. Collie learned to play guitar and piano and joined a band when he was 12. In high school, he worked as a part-time deejay at the local radio station. Following graduation, he joined several bands and toured the Southwest. In 1982, Collie, encouraged by his wife, moved to Nashville to become a full-time songwriter at a publishing house. When no one hired him, he began singing his own songs to live audiences and picked up a following when he began doing monthly performances at the Douglas Corner Cafe. A 1989 showcase in 1989 led MCA/Nashville to sign him. Collie's first single, "Something with a Ring to It," made it to the Top 60 in 1990. His next single, "Looks Aren't Everything," made it to the Top 40; both songs appeared on his first album, Harden County Line (1990). Collie then hit the road and played with Reba McEntire, Conway Twitty and Charlie Daniels. He made it to the Top 20 for the first time in 1991 and then released his second album Born and Raised in Black & White, which produced two Top 40 hits, including "She's Never Coming Back." The following year, the album produced the Top Five single "Even the Man in the Moon Is Crying." His third album, Mark Collie, was released in 1993 and continued to fare well with such popular tunes as "Born to Love You" and "Shame, Shame, Shame, Shame." Unleashed, Collie's fourth album, appeared in 1994. After its release, he signed with Warner Records, who issued Tennessee Plates in 1995. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Music Guide
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