Mark Lindsay
| Mark Lindsay | |
|---|---|
Lindsay at right with Paul Revere in 1973.
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| Background information | |
| Born |
March 9, 1942 Eugene, Oregon, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | |
| Years active | 1958–present |
| Associated acts | Paul Revere & the Raiders |
| Website | www.marklindsay.com |
Mark Lindsay (born March 9, 1942) is an American musician, best known as the lead singer for Paul Revere & the Raiders.
Lindsay was born in Eugene, Oregon, and was the second of eight children. The family moved to Idaho when he was young, where he attended Wilder High School for a short time.
Lindsay began performing at age 15 with local bands that played local venues. He was tapped to sing in a band called Freddy Chapman and the Idaho Playboys after he won a local talent contest. After Chapman left the area, Lindsay saw the other band members and a new member, Paul Revere, playing at a local I.O.O.F. Hall. He persuaded the band to allow him to sing a few songs with them. The next day he was working at his regular job at McClure Bakery in Caldwell Idaho when Paul Revere came in to buy supplies for a hamburger restaurant that he owned. This chance meeting began their professional relationship.
Lindsay became lead singer and saxophone player in a band with Revere and several others. He suggested they call themselves "The Downbeats" after a magazine with the same title. They made some demo tapes in 1960 in Boise, Idaho, and signed with a record company called Gardena Records. The group scored their first national hit with the piano/sax instrumental "Like, Long Hair" which peaked at #38 in the Billboard charts on April 17, 1961.
After changing personnel a few more times, the band recorded the song "Louie, Louie" about the same time that a rival Pacific Northwest band, The Kingsmen, recorded the song. The Kingsmen version was the one that charted nationally, but Mark and his bandmates also were gaining attention.
Around the time "Louie, Louie" was recorded, they decided to use Paul Revere's name as a gimmick and bill themselves as "Paul Revere & the Raiders". They began to dress in Revolutionary War-style outfits. Mark Lindsay carried the theme a bit further by growing his hair out and pulling it back into a ponytail, which became his signature look.
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