Mark Eugene Gray (October 24, 1952 – December 2, 2016) was an American singer-songwriter and country music artist. He recorded both as a solo artist for Columbia Records and as a member of the country pop band Exile, of which he was a member between 1979 and 1982.
Mark Gray | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Mark Eugene Gray[1] |
| Born | October 24, 1952 Vicksburg, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | December 2, 2016 (aged 64) Lebanon, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, keyboards |
| Years active | 1972–1988 |
| Labels | Columbia, 615 |
| Formerly of | Exile |
Gray's solo career included three albums and nine singles, of which the highest-peaking is the No. 6 Tammy Wynette duet "Sometimes When We Touch", a cover of the Dan Hill song. Gray also co-wrote "Take Me Down" and "The Closer You Get", both of which were originally recorded by Exile in 1980 and later became Number One hits for Alabama. Other songs that Gray co-wrote include "It Ain't Easy Bein' Easy" for Janie Fricke and "Second Hand Heart" for Gary Morris. He died on December 2, 2016, at the age of 64.[2]
Discography
editAlbums
edit| Title | Album details | Peak positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Country | ||
| Magic |
| 26 |
| This Ol' Piano |
| 33 |
| That Feeling Inside |
| 35 |
Singles
edit| Year | Title | Peak positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [3] | CAN Country | |||
| 1983 | "It Ain't Real (If It Ain't You)" | 25 | — | Magic |
| "Wounded Hearts" | 18 | — | ||
| 1984 | "Left Side of the Bed" | 10 | 28 | |
| "If All the Magic Is Gone" | 9 | 6 | ||
| "Diamond in the Dust" | 9 | 4 | This Ol' Piano | |
| 1985 | "Sometimes When We Touch" (with Tammy Wynette) | 6 | 24 | |
| "Smooth Sailing (Rock in the Road)" | 43 | 30 | ||
| "Please Be Love" | 7 | 3 | That Feeling Inside | |
| 1986 | "Back When Love Was Enough" | 14 | 7 | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
Awards and nominations
editAcademy of Country Music Awards
edit| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Mark Gray | Top New Male Vocalist | Nominated |
| 1985 | "Left Side of the Bed" | Video of the Year | Nominated |
| "Second Hand Heart" | Song of the Year | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ "Search results for Mark Gray". Broadcast Music Incorporated. Retrieved 2009-08-11.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Morris, Edward (December 4, 2016). "Mark Gray, '80s Hitmaker, Dead at 64". CMT. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 168. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
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