Marcus Singletary was born in Chicago, Illinois.[1] He began playing several instruments from an early age, and later described the era as one spent listening to classic rock radio and hanging out at a local record shop.[2][3]
A large range of styles have been apparent within Singletary's music since the beginning of his recording career. Take Me Out to the Ball Game (2008), which consisted largely of improvisational guitar solos, was compared, by critics, to legends like Jimi Hendrix,[4][5] the Rocks compilation (2006) was a "recorded blues resume" containing early cuts and highlights,[6] and Smokin' (2011) paired him with a powerhouse backing band including Chet McCracken, a Grammy nominee and former member of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band The Doobie Brothers, on drums.[7][8] Others, including Defiance Science (2015) and Subversive Blues (2016), were displays of his talents on all instruments.[9][10]
Education[]
Singletary studied jazz guitar and audio engineering at Musician's Institute, and is a graduate of Northwestern University's School of Communication.[11]
Business[]
Singletary formed the independent record label Aviation Records in 2006. It focused on Americana, fusion, and progressive rock. He and the label were awarded a California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant by Governor Gavin Newsom and the State Legislature in February, 2021. In an interview, he said, "Eventually, our collective attention will turn away from the pandemic, just as audiences’ tastes in popular music change, over time. This opportunity ensures that we will continue to press on with our goals of teaching the world about - and placing a modern spin on - some important forms of music that have, in recent times, been largely ignored."[12]
Multimedia Work[]
Singletary hosted the music/comedy radio program Far Out Flavors in 2016; it was broadcast on Southern California NBC affiliate KCAA-FM.[13][14] Highlights were featured on the 2017 EP Daydream Station.[15] Featuring a sports-themed format, the program was rebooted in 2020 as "Chest Fever, presented by Far Out Flavors," with Singletary providing voiceovers for National Football League Hall of Fame member profiles.[16]
Singletary directed, produced, and scored the 2019 experimental short film The Sebhedris Experience. It combined kaleidoscopic images with ambient music that appeared on the instrumental album Journey to Sebhedris.[17][18]
Track Listing: Delta, Best in Me, Shame, Can't Ask For More, (You Can Call Me) Anytime, Saddleback, Come on Over to My Side, Come on Over to My Side, Baby (Live bonus track), Train, The Music's Playin', Super Tuesday, Lead the Way, Keep On Movin', Johnson's Farm, Signs of Life, WIthout Love (bonus track)
Credits: Marcus Singletary - Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Bass, Harmonica, Piano, Organ, Synthesizer, Drums, Vocals, Composer (all tracks), Producer. Mastering: Anthony Casuccio, Nancy Matter.
2008
Marcus Singletary
Label: Aviation Records
Track Listing: Start Something, Love is the Answer, Greenstone Pala, Say Can You See, Bound to Be, Shake the Ceiling, One More Funk Song
Credits: Marcus Singletary - Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Bass, Piano, Keyboards, Synthesizer, Vocals, Composer (all tracks), Producer. Stefano Ashbridge: Drums. Vincent Unto: Background Vocals. Ralph Parillo: Saxophone. Engineer: G. Preston Boebel. Post-Production: Erik Colvin. Mixing: Don Casale. Mastering: Anthony Casuccio.
2011
Smokin'
Label: Aviation Records
Track Listing: Can It Be Real, Meditate, Get the Dance Gene, Misty Morning, Psychedelic People, Farmer, Drop of a Hat, You Could Be Lucky
Credits: Marcus Singletary: Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Keyboards, Synthesizer, Theremin, Vocals, Composer (1-3, 5-8), Producer. Chet McCracken - Drums. Cliff Starbuck - Bass. Vincent Unto, Renee Yalley: Background Vocals. Ralph Parillo, John "Motormouth" Lugo, Jeff Schweitzer, "Cuco" Lopez - Horn Section. Engineer/Post-Production: Erik Colvin. Mixing: Ross Pallone. Mastering: Anthony Casuccio.
2014
Defiance Science
Label: Aviation Records
Track Listing: Science, Party Like a Star, Shangri-Rock, In the Sand, Genovia, Lookin' Good, Gambler's Delight, Young Lady of Royalty, Tomorrow No
Credits: Marcus Singletary: Acoustic and Electric Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Synthesizer, Drums, Vocals, Composer (all tracks), Producer. Post-Production: Erik Colvin. Mixing: Jill Tengan. Mastering: Anthony Casuccio.
2016
Subversive Blues
Label: Aviation Records
Track Listing: Stand Your Ground, Astronaut's Daughter, Bonnie Wright, That's the Way It Is, White Rose Morningside, My Slave Life, Blessing of the Guru, Sex Blues, Dead Cops and Starfighters, The Hero Returns Home
Credits: Marcus Singletary: Bass, Drums, Electric Guitar, Harmonica, Synthesizer, Vocals, Composer (all tracks), Producer. Mastering: Anthony Casuccio; Mixing, "Blessing of the Guru" - Jill Tengan.
2020
Born to Be Wild
Label: Aviation Records
Track Listing: Top of the Sky, Freeform Guitar (A Tribute to Terry Kath), Devil's Rage, Born to Be Wild, Three Beaches of Narragansett, Space Train to Babylon, (I Don't Need Your) Permission, Siyavuya Ngoku
Credits: Marcus Singletary: Bass, Drums, Electric Guitar, Synthesizer, Vocals, Composer (1-3, 5-8), Producer. Mastering: Anthony Casuccio.
EPs & Spoken Word[]
Year
Album details
2013
Sings Country Music Standards
Label: Aviation Records
Track Listing: Proud Mary, You Win Again, You Don't Mess Around WIth Jim, Muleskinner Blues (Blue Yodel No. 8), Folsom Prison Blues, Just Pretend, Kiss an Angel Good Morning
Credits: Marcus Singletary: Acoustic Guitar and Vocals, Producer.
2017
Spirit Dialogues
Label: Aviation Records
Track Listing: Critics, Not Fade Away/LA Quake, Radio and Records, Footprints, Push the Envelope, Wind and Wuthering
Credits: Marcus Singletary - Electric Guitars, Bass, Drums, Narration, Composer (3, 7), Producer.
2017
Daydream Station
Label: Aviation Records
Track Listing: The I.R.S., Jim-Bob's Record Shop, S.P.I.T. 909, 200th Anniversary of the Klan, Yes on Prop. 608, Jim Rockstar and Bozo McDade, No on Prop. 608, Attack of the Record Men, The Life and Times of John Wilkes Booth, Public Service Announcement, Moby Dick, Sincock and Nipples, One NIght Stand
Credits: Marcus Singletary - Narrator, Composer (all tracks), Producer.
2020
The South Africa Tapes
Label: Aviation Records
Track Listing: Apartheid Story (1948-1994) - Comedy sketches and faux-news broadcasts chronicling the story of South African Apartheid.
Credits: Marcus Singletary - Narrator, Composer, Producer. Mastering: Anthony Casuccio.
2021
Power Player
Label: Aviation Records
Track Listing: California Sun, Love in Vain, Shapes of Things, Born to Be Wild
Credits: Marcus Singletary - Acoustic (Martin) and Electric (Fernandes) Guitars, Bass, Drums, Vocals, Producer. Mastering: Anthony Casuccio.
Live albums[]
Year
Album details
2005
Live at the Foxx
Label: Aviation Records
Track Listing: Can't Ask For More, Shame, The Music's Playin', Best in Me, Mercury Blues, Good Lovin'
Credits: Marcus Singletary - Composer (1-4), Producer. Mastering: Anthony Casuccio.
2006
Live on Sunset
Label: Aviation Records
Track Listing: Best in Me, Shame, The Music's Playin', Can't Ask For More, Good Lovin', Mercury Blues, Sweet Home Chicago
Credits: Marcus Singletary: Composer (1-4), Producer.
2008
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Label: Aviation Records
Track Listing: Take Me Out to the Ball Game, The Babe, Boys of Summer, Suzuki, Man of Steal
Credits: Marcus Singletary - Electric Guitar, Composer (2-5), Arranger (1), Producer. Stefano Ashbridge: Drums. Engineering: Eric Greedy. Mastering: David Torrey.
2015
Marcus Singletary Live
Label: Aviation Records
Track Listing: Beggar's Anthem, Hallelujah, On the SIlver Screen, Sunny Side of Heaven, In the Sand, Science, Cartwheel and Comet, You Don't Mess Around WIth Jim, Open for Business
Credits: Marcus Singletary: Composer (1-3, 5-7, 9), Producer.
2018
The Sonic Admiral - Live!
Label: Aviation Records
Track Listing: On the Silver Screen, Roll it One More Time, I'd Like to Find Out, Danger Ahead, We Trust in Our Leader, Magic and Carnal Delights, Green Sky Guitar/Sonic Admiral, King Astrohead, Look Down Fair Moon, Comin' Home 2U, Subversive Birds
Credits: Marcus Singletary: Composer (1-8, 10-11), Producer. "Look Down Fair Moon" by Walt Whitman.
Compilations[]
Year
Album details
2006
Rocks
Label: Aviation Records
Track Listing: Shake Your Body Politic, Sweet Home, Chicago, Delta, Train, Super Tuesday, Can't Ask For More, Shame, The Music's Playin', Mercury Blues, Good Lovin'
Credits: Marcus Singletary - Main Performer, Composer (1, 3-8), Producer. Mastering: Anthony Casuccio, Nancy Matter.
2018
Holy Guitar
Label: Aviation Records
Track Listing: King Astrohead, Cartwheel and Comet, Chicago Stomp, Highway Patrol, Green Sky Guitar/Sonic Admiral, Marcus Singletary Mix, Take Me Out to the Ball Game, Summer, Quake, Holy Guitar
Credits: Marcus Singletary: Main Performer, Composer (all tracks), Producer.
2018
In the Mix
Label: Aviation Records
Track Listing: Bound to Be, Get the Dance Gene, Shake the Ceiling, You Could Be Lucky, Say Can You See, Can It Be Real, Greenstone Pala, Right Now, Meditate, Give it Time
Credits: Marcus Singletary - Main Performer, Producer. Mixing: Don Casale, Ross Pallone. Mastering: Rodney Mills.
2019
My Gun's My Guitar (Live)
Label: Aviation Records
Track Listing: Disc 1: Live on Sunset, Disc 2: Live at the Foxx, Disc 3: Marcus Singletary Live, Disc 4: The Sonic Admiral - Live!
Credits: Marcus Singletary: Main Performer, Producer. Mastering: Anthony Casuccio.
2021
The Complete Aviation Studio Albums 2004-2020
Label: Aviation Records
Track Listing: All seven studio albums released by Aviation between 2004-2020. 50 total recordings.
Credits: Marcus Singletary: Main Performer, Producer.
Soundtracks[]
Year
Album details
2019
Journey to Sebhedris
Label: Aviation Records
Track Listing: Visionary Heights, The Golden Ice Hits the Morning Dew Where it Hurts, Tarsus XII, Sixteen steps to Pyramid One, Fanfare for a Funeral, Avaricious Spider, Kewis Malfunction, Soliloquy (Opus No. 19), Journey to Sebhedris
Credits: Marcus Singletary: Electric Guitar, Bass, Piano, Synthesizer, Drums, Composer (all tracks), Producer. Mixing and Mastering: Artificial Intelligence.
