Mark Linkous

Mark Linkous
Linkous performing in Richmond, Virginia in April 1992
Background information
Birth name	Frederick Mark Linkous
Born	September 9, 1962 Arlington, Virginia
Died	March 6, 2010 (aged 47) Knoxville, Tennessee
Genres	Lo-fi, indie rock, alt-country, bluegrass, folk, psychedelic, southern gothic
Occupation(s)	Musician, singer-songwriter, record producer
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards, bass guitar, drums, percussion
Years active	1985–2010
Labels	Capitol/EMI, Astralwerks/Caroline/Virgin/EMI, Konkurrent, Combat, Relativity, Anti-/Epitaph
Associated acts	Dancing Hoods, Tom Waits, Daniel Johnston, PJ Harvey, Fennesz, Danger Mouse, House of Freaks, Sparklehorse
Website	sparklehorse.com

Mark Linkous (September 9, 1962 – March 6, 2010) was an American singer, songwriter and musician, best known as leader of Sparklehorse. He was also known for his collaborations with such notable artists as Tom Waits, PJ Harvey, Daniel Johnston, Radiohead, Black Francis, Julian Casablancas, Nina Persson, David Lynch, Fennesz, Danger Mouse, and Sage Francis.

A member of the 1980s indie band the Dancing Hoods, Linkous moved with the group from his native Virginia to New York City and later Los Angeles in hopes of achieving mainstream success. By 1988, the band had failed to land a major record label deal, and they disbanded with Linkous returning to Virginia, where he began writing songs under various monikers.

By 1995, he created a project named Sparklehorse, of which he would remain the only permanent member. The band released a quartet of critically acclaimed albums on Capitol Records: Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot, Good Morning Spider, It's a Wonderful Life, and on Astralwerks records: Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain. Linkous lived the last years of his life in Hayesville, North Carolina, where he established Static King Studio. He committed suicide in Knoxville, Tennessee on March 6, 2010.