Marcus Singletary is an American musician and media personality. A prolific entertainer, he has released many albums as a solo artist.
Singletary was born in Chicago, Illinois. He began playing several instruments from an early age, and later described the era as one spent listening to oldies radio and hanging out at a record shop, seeking out vinyl by Arthur Lee and Love, Spooky Tooth, and The Animals.
A large range of styles have been apparent within Singletary's music since the beginning of his recording career. Take Me Out to the Ball Game (2008), which consisted largely of improvisational guitar solos, was compared, by critics, to legends like Jimi Hendrix, the Rocks compilation (2006) was a "recorded blues resume" containing early cuts and highlights, and Smokin' (2011) paired him with a powerhouse backing band including Chet McCracken, a Grammy nominee and former member of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band The Doobie Brothers, on drums. Others, including Defiance Science (2015) and Subversive Blues (2016), were displays of his talents on all instruments.
Singletary has hosted two radio programs/podcasts. The first, Far Out Flavors, debuted on NBC affiliate KCAA-FM in September, 2016. Highlights were featured on the 2017 EP Daydream Station. The Marcus Singletary Show followed in December, 2019; the program is centered around acoustic performances of Americana standards, as well as classics by such artists as Hank Williams and The Grateful Dead.
Journey to Sebhedris (2019) served as the score for The Sebhedris Experience, a short film that combined kaleidoscopic videos with ambient music.
Marcus Singletary is a graduate of Northwestern University's School of Communications.
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Album details |
|---|
| 2004 | Angel City Shootout- Label: Aviation Records
- Track Listing: Delta, Best in Me, Shame, Can't Ask For More, (You Can Call Me) Anytime, Saddleback, Come on Over to My Side, Come on Over to My Side, Baby (Live bonus track), Train, The Music's Playin', Super Tuesday, Lead the Way, Keep On Movin', Johnson's Farm, Signs of Life, WIthout Love (bonus track)
- Credits: Marcus Singletary - Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Bass, Harmonica, Piano, Organ, Synthesizer, Drums, Vocals, Engineer, Songwriter (all tracks), Production. Mastering: Anthony Casuccio, Nancy Matter.
|
| 2008 | Marcus Singletary- Label: Aviation Records
- Track Listing: Start Something, Love is the Answer, Greenstone Pala, Say Can You See, Bound to Be, Shake the Ceiling, One More Funk Song
- Credits: Marcus Singletary - Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Bass, Piano, Keyboards, Synthesizer, Vocals, Songwriter (all tracks), Production. Stafano Ashbridge: Drums. Vincent Unto: Background Vocals. Ralph Parillo: Saxophone. Engineer: G. Preston Boebel. Post-Production: Erik Colvin. Mixing: Don Casale. Mastering: Anthony Casuccio.
|
| 2011 | Smokin'- Label: Aviation Records
- Track Listing: Can It Be Real, Meditate, Get the Dance Gene, Misty Morning, Psychedelic People, Farmer, Drop of a Hat, You Could Be Lucky
- Credits: Marcus Singletary: Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Keyboards, Synthesizer, Theremin, Vocals, Songwriter (1-3, 5-8), Production. Chet McCracken - Drums. Cliff Starbuck - Bass. Vincent Unto, Renee Yalley: Background Vocals. Ralph Parillo, John "Motormouth" Lugo, Jeff Schweitzer, "Cuco" Lopez - Horn Section. Engineer/Post-Production: Erik Colvin. Mixing: Ross Pallone. Mastering: Anthony Casuccio.
|
| 2014 | Defiance Science- Label: Aviation Records
- Track Listing: Science, Party Like a Star, Shangri-Rock, In the Sand, Genovia, Lookin' Good, Gambler's Delight, Young Lady of Royalty, Tomorrow No
- Credits: Marcus Singletary: Acoustic and Electric Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Synthesizer, Drums, Vocals, Engineering, Songwriter (all tracks), Production. Post-Production: Erik Colvin. Mixing: Jill Tengan. Mastering: Anthony Casuccio.
|
| 2016 | Subversive Blues- Label: Aviation Records
- Track Listing: Stand Your Ground, Astronaut's Daughter, Bonnie Wright, That's the Way It Is, White Rose Morningside, My Slave Life, Blessing of the Guru, Sex Blues, Dead Cops and Starfighters, The Hero Returns Home
- Credits: Marcus Singletary: Bass, Electric Guitar, Harmonica, Synthesizer, Vocals, Engineering, Songwriter (all tracks), Production. "Blessing of the Guru" - Mixing: Jill Tengan; Mastering: Anthony Casuccio.
|
EPs
| Year | Album details |
|---|
| 2013 | Sings Country Music Standards- Label: Aviation Records
- Track Listing: Proud Mary, You Win Again, You Don't Mess Around WIth Jim, Muleskinner Blues (Blue Yodel No. 8), Folsom Prison Blues, Just Pretend, Kiss an Angel Good Morning
- Credits: Marcus Singletary: Acoustic Guitar and Vocals, Engineering, Production.
|
| 2017 | Spirit Dialogues- Label: Aviation Records
- Track Listing: Critics, Not Fade Away, LA Quake, Radio and Records, Footprints, Push the Envelope, Wind and Wuthering
- Credits: Marcus Singletary - Electric Guitars, Bass, Drums, Narration, Engineer, Songwriter (3, 7), Production.
|
| 2017 | Daydream Station- Label: Aviation Records
- Track Listing: The I.R.S., Jim-Bob's Record Shop, S.P.I.T. 909, 200th Anniversary of the Klan, Yes on Prop. 608, Jim Rockstar and Bozo McDade, No on Prop. 608, Attack of the Record Men, The Life and Times of John Wilkes Booth, Public Service Announcement, Moby Dick, Sincock and Nipples, One NIght Stand
- Credits: Marcus Singletary - Narrator, Engineer, Composer (all tracks), Producer.
|
Live albums
| Year | Album details |
|---|
| 2005 | Live at the Foxx- Label: Aviation Records
- Track Listing: Can't Ask For More, Shame, The Music's Playin', Best in Me, Mercury Blues, Good Lovin'
- Credits: Marcus Singletary - Songwriter (1-4), Production. Mastering: Anthony Casuccio.
|
| 2006 | Live on Sunset- Label: Aviation Records
- Track Listing: Best in Me, Shame, The Music's Playin', Can't Ask For More, Good Lovin', Mercury Blues, Swet Home Chicago
- Credits: Marcus Singletary: Songwriter (1-4), Production.
|
| 2008 | Take Me Out to the Ball Game- Label: Aviation Records
- Track Listing: Take Me Out to the Ball Game, The Babe, Boys of Summer, Suzuki, Man of Steal
- Credits: Marcus Singletary - Electric Guitar, Songwriter (2-5), Arranger (1), Production. Stefano Ashbridge: Drums. Engineering: Eric Greedy. Mastering: David Torrey.
|
| 2015 | Marcus Singletary Live- Label: Aviation Records
- Track Listing: Beggar's Anthem, Hallelujah, On the SIlver Screen, Sunny Side of Heaven, In the Sand, Science, Cartwheel and Comet, You Don't Mess Around WIth Jim, Open for Business
- Credits: Marcus Singletary: Songwriter (1-3, 5-7, 9), Production.
|
| 2018 | The Sonic Admiral - Live!- Label: Aviation Records
- Track Listing: On the Silver Screen, Roll it One More Time, I'd Like to Find Out, Danger Ahead, We Trust in Our Leader, Magic and Carnal Delights, Green Sky Guitar/Sonic Admiral, King Astrohead, Look Down Fair Moon, Comin' Home 2U, Subversive Birds
- Credits: Marcus Singletary: Songwriter (1-8, 10-11), Production. "Look Down Fair Moon" by Walt Whitman.
|
Compilations
| Year | Album details |
|---|
| 2006 | Rocks- Label: Aviation Records
- Track Listing: Shake Your Body Politic, Sweet Home, Chicago, Delta, Train, Super Tuesday, Can't Ask For More, Shame, The Music's Playin', Mercury Blues, Good Lovin'
- Credits: Marcus Singletary - Main Performer, Songwriter (1, 3-8), Producer. Mastering: Anthony Casuccio, Nancy Matter.
|
| 2018 | Holy Guitar- Label: Aviation Records
- Track Listing: King Astrohead, Cartwheel and Comet, Chicago Stomp, Highway Patrol, Green Sky Guitar/Sonic Admiral, Marcus Singletary Mix, Take Me Out to the Ball Game, Summer, Quake, Holy Guitar
- Credits: Marcus Singletary: Main Performer, Composer (all tracks), Producer.
|
| 2018 | In the Mix- Label: Aviation Records
- Track Listing: Bound to Be, Get the Dance Gene, Shake the Ceiling, You Could Be Lucky, Say Can You See, Can It Be Real, Greenstone Pala, Right Now, Meditate, Give it Time
- Credits: Marcus Singletary - Main Performer, Producer. Mixing: Don Casale, Ross Pallone. Mastering: Rodney Mills.
|
| 2019 | My Gun's My Guitar (Live)- Label: Aviation Records
- Track Listing: Disc 1: Live on Sunset, Disc 2: Live at the Foxx, Disc 3: Marcus Singletary Live, Disc 4: The Sonic Admiral - Live!
|
Soundtracks
| Year | Album details |
|---|
| 2019 | Journey to Sebhedris- Label: Aviation Records
- Track Listing: Visionary Heights, The Golden Ice Hits the Morning Dew Where it Hurts, Tarsus XII, Sixteen steps to Pyramid One, Fanfare for a Funeral, Avaricious Spider, Kewis Malfunction, Soliloquy (Opus No. 19), Journey to Sebhedris
- Credits: Marcus Singletary: Electric Guitar, Bass, Piano, Synthesizer, Drums, Engineering, Composer (all tracks), Production. Mixing and Mastering: Artificial Intelligence.
|