Mark McGuinn Biography

 

By 2001, McGuinn was signed to VFR Records, a newly formed independent record label, which released his eponymous debut album (Mark McGuinn) in May of that year. Initially, the label had planned to release "That's a Plan" as the album's first single. However, a disc jockey at KPLX in Dallas, Texas began playing "Mrs. Steven Rudy", another cut from the album, and other nearby stations soon followed suit; due to the reaction the song was receiving in this market, the label released it as McGuinn's debut single. Upon the release of "Mrs. Steven Rudy", McGuinn was considered a "dark horse" on the country music scene, due in part to his jazz background and beatnik image, which were considered outside the norms of country radio. Nonetheless, "Mrs. Steven Rudy" was a Top ten hit on the Billboard country music charts, as well as the highest-selling single on the Hot Singles Sales charts for five consecutive weeks. His debut album entered the Top Country Albums chart at #18, setting a new record for the highest entry on that chart for the first release from an independent label. "That's a Plan" was eventually released as the second single, followed by "She Doesn't Dance"; these songs peaked at #25 and #29, respectively, on the country charts. McGuinn returned to the studio in 2005 to release his second album, entitled One Man's Crazy. It was released that year on Blue Flamingo Records, an independent label started by Mark and one of his co-writing partners, Jim Foster. "More Beautiful Today" was also reprised for this album.