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Country music is his passion
From rock to folk to country Though Brine now lives in Baldwin, Md., he’s a native of Cambridge, Mass., where he grew up listening to his uncle’s favorite country music — songs by such music legends as Hank Williams, Sr., Roy Acuff and Hank Snow. When he was 10, Brine’s parents bought him a guitar. And when he was 13, he formed a band. Unfortunately, it didn’t really get off the ground “because we didn’t really know how to play!” he recalled with a laugh. In time that problem got solved, and Brine began writing and performing throughout New England. He started out playing lead guitar in a rock band called Trans-Atlantic Subway. The group signed to a local recording label and released a single, “Servant of the People.” After six years with the rock group,
PHOTO BY ARNOLD LEE DICKENS
By Carol Sorgen Mark Brine found his professional calling early on. Today, the 68-year-old writer and singer continues his long career in country music, saying simply (as country singers are apt to), “It’s my life.” Though Brine may not be a household name among casual listeners, country music aficionados know his longstanding reputation in the industry. For example, Pete Smith of Country Music Roundup, wrote: “I think Mark Brine must be Americana’s best kept secret. A singer/songwriter for over 30 years…Brine writes wonderful story songs about ordinary people and ordinary places. To tell these stories, Mark has a voice that is as comfortable as a favorite coat.” Brine uses the term “Americana” to describe his sound, explaining that he means to take the listener back to a time that no longer exists. “One of my favorite artists is Norman Rockwell,” he said. “Though some don’t agree, I consider him a true folk artist, and he had an amazing ability to capture a moment in time. That’s what I’m trying to do with my music. I want to capture that moment in a song.” All told, Brine has released more than 20 singles or albums and CDs, and has performed throughout the United States and Europe.
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ARTS & STYLE Baltimore-based country singer Mark Brine has been nominated for a Grammy twice, and in 2005 was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the National Traditional Country Music Association. He recently appeared on the PBS show “Song of the Mountains,” and has also published four books with musical themes.
Brine left, turning to folk music. He performed throughout New England in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. “That was the height of the folk music boom,” Brine said. But in time he couldn’t deny his musical roots, and became increasingly interested in playing the kind of traditional country music he had grown up listening to. In 1974, Brine moved to Nashville to pursue a career in country music. His timing was somewhat off. “Unfortunately, that kind of music — what some were calling “hillbilly” music — was falling out of favor, even in Nashville,” Brine said. But eventually he signed a publishing and recording contract, and released three singles in 1978: “Hello Lady,” “Coming Home to Love,” and a cover of the Bee Gees’ “Words.” In 1979, after switching labels, he released
the singles “The Carol” (also known as “The Christmas Carol No One Listens For”) and “My Folks Were Like Ma and Pa Kettle.”
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A new base in Baltimore In 1985, Brine and his family moved to Baltimore, so he and his wife could raise their son near her family. Still interested in traditional country music, Brine signed with another label and debuted an album called “Return to Americana,” followed by “American Pieces.” In 1992, his single, “New Blue Yodel,” was released, which caught the attention of his boyhood idol, Hank Snow. Snow invited Brine to appear with him on the Grand Ole Opry, where he described Brine as “a fine See COUNTRY MUSIC, page 27
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