Song Poet Mark Germino Passes

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Mark Germino

Critically acclaimed Nashville folk-pop artist Mark Germino passed away Wednesday (July 3) at age 73.

During his career, Germino issued six albums and became a popular Nashville nightclub performer. Although he never wrote a hit single, his tunes were recorded by such Hall of Fame artists as Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, Vince Gill and Emmylou Harris. In 1986, he became the first Nashville artist to have an album issued on compact disc, as well as on vinyl and cassette.

Mark Germino was a native of North Carolina who served in the Navy during the Vietnam War. While in the service, he was inspired to write poetry after hearing Johnny Cash on the radio. Writing became his therapy as he healed emotionally from his war experiences.

When he approached publishers, he was told that his poems read like song lyrics. Friends in his home state agreed and urged him to move to Nashville.

He arrived in Music City in 1974 and took up the guitar. He worked as a truck driver and courier while trying to make inroads on Music Row. He began performing in clubs in 1976 and quickly attracted the attention of his songwriting peers. Paul Craft issued Germino’s “Lean on Jesus (Before He Leans on You)” as s single in 1977. John Scott Sherrill took Germino to his publisher, Combine Music, in 1981.

Two years later, Loretta Lynn cracked the country top 40 with Germino’s “Breakin’ It.” In 1986, Kathy Mattea and Johnny Cash both recorded the songwriter’s “God Ain’t No Stained Glass Window.” Steve Earle performed Germino’s songs “Hardware” and “Rock & Roll at the USO” in his live shows.

Germino overcame initial onstage shyness to become a charming live performer, himself. His dry, drawling, conversational vocal style and lightly humorous, rumpled, offbeat personality delighted fans at his club appearances.

Talent scout Mary Martin caught one of Germino’s performances at The Bluebird Cafe. She convinced RCA’s New York office to sign him as a pop artist. The label sent him to London to record with Paul Samwell-Smith, noted for his work with such artists as Cat Stevens, Carly Simon, Jethro Tull and Paul Simon. This resulted in his debut album, 1986’s London Moon and Barnyard Remedies, which Germino described as “folk ’n’ roll.”

Critics praised him in the pages of Rolling Stone, Penthouse, Billboard and other publications. At the time, the compact disc was new technology, so Germino’s album also achieved some notoriety because of its release on CD. Although the album did well in Europe, it sold poorly in the U.S.

Germino tried again with 1987’s Caught In the Act of Being Ourselves, but RCA only issued it overseas. Stateside, Joe Sun, Sylvia, Bobby Bare, Claire Lynch, Vern Gosdin, John Anderson, The Seldom Scene, Mel McDaniel and a number of independent-label artists recorded his songs.

In 1991, Germino teamed up with the Nashville rock band The Sluggers for an album titled Radartown. It contained “Rex Bob Lowenstein,” which became one of his most popular songs at shows. It told the story of a radio DJ who is fired for playing music he loves, rather than what he is told to play. Burrito Deluxe recorded the song in 2004.

Germino returned to the studio to create 1995’s Rank and File, a folk music outing. It contained his second version of “Rex Bob Lowenstein.” He then put music aside to write three novels.

In the meantime, Confederate Railroad recorded his “Bill’s Laudromat, Bar and Grill,” and it became a single in 1995. Kenny Chesney issued Germino’s “I Will Stand” as a single in 1998. Vince Gill recorded their co-written “Ace Up Your Pretty Sleeve” in 2006. Emmylou Harris recorded “Broken Man’s Lament” in 2008. Kevin Welch, Buddy Mondlock, Barbara Mandrell, Mindy McCready and others included Germino songs on their albums.

The songwriter returned with an album titled Atomic Candlestick in 2006, this time billed as Mark Germino & The Grenade Angels. After another period of recording silence, he issued Midnight Carnival in 2021.

The singer-songwriter’s death was announced online by music journalist Brian Mansfield, as well as on Wikipedia. Funeral arrangements are unknown at press time.

Robert K Oermann
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