Mark D. Sanders
| Mark D. Sanders | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Mark Daniel Sanders |
| Born |
September 7, 1950 in Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Country, country pop |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter |
| Years active | 1980–present |
Mark Daniel Sanders is an American Country Music songwriter. He has written 14 No. 1 hits, 50 singles, and over 200 cuts, including the famous Lee Ann Womack single "I Hope You Dance", co-written with Tia Sillers.
Mark Daniel Sanders was born in Los Angeles, Calif. on September 7, 1950. While majoring in literature, Sanders also enjoyed playing basketball and surfing at Fullerton College and the University of California, San Diego. Sanders first wrote songs as a hobby, until March 5, 1980, when he went to Nashville, Tenn. to give his first few songs a shot. Sanders worked jobs such as tour bus driving and substitute teaching until he was able to develop his songwriting into a full-fledged career about a decade later.
In an interview with American Songwriter, Sanders said, "I was 29 and wanted to do something of significance in my life. I couldn't do anything else. I didn't want to turn 30 and be aimless. I think some people grow up needing to be creative, it just took me awhile to give myself permission to do it."
In June 1986, Sanders married Cindy Sasser whom he met while they were both working at Hillsboro High School in Nashville, TN. In addition to a successful songwriting career, Sanders has two daughters Kate Sanders (from a previous marriage) and Sophie Sanders, a son Dylan Sanders, a stepdaughter Jill Goodwin, and stepson Ethan Goodwin.
After spending a successful decade writing in Nashville, Tenn., Sanders career began to skyrocket in the early 1990s. Songs by artists Diamond Rio, Tracy Lawrence, and John Anderson brought Sanders 14 No. 1 singles.
"My experience tells me that one out of five songs I demo will get cut, and I'd be really lucky if two of them were recorded," said Sanders. "It took me 10 years to make enough money to where I didn't have to worry about next year's house payment."
Sanders was nominated for NSAI Songwriter of the Year in 1995, a year that brought him five No. 1 hits. He was nominated a second time in 1996. Also in 1996, Sanders won an award for Country Song of the Year for the song "No News" by Lonestar. Sanders was also awarded Country Songwriter of the Year in 1997. He also won songwriter of the year in 1995 and 1997 from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).
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