Mark Sandman
| Mark Sandman | |
|---|---|
Sandman in 1997 at Mississippi Nights, St Louis, MO
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| Background information | |
| Born |
September 24, 1952 Newton, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | July 3, 1999 (aged 46) Palestrina, Italy |
| Genres | Alternative rock, blues-rock, indie rock, low rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer |
| Instruments | Slide bass, vocals, unitar, tritar, baritone guitar, guitar, piano |
| Labels | Rykodisc, Dreamworks, Hi-n-Dry |
| Associated acts |
Morphine, Treat Her Right, The Hypnosonics |
Mark Sandman (September 24, 1952 – July 3, 1999) was an American singer, songwriter, musical instrument inventor, multi-instrumentalist and comic writer. He was an indie rock icon and longtime fixture in the Boston/Cambridge music scene, best known as the lead singer and slide bass player of the band Morphine. Sandman was also a member of the blues-rock band Treat Her Right and founder of Hi-n-Dry, a recording studio and independent record label.
Sandman was known for his deep distinctive Baritone voice and was notorious for his temper with the media on speculation of his private life as well as his dark, charismatic, and mysterious demeanor, which made him an unpredictable character in person.
He was renowned for his laconic approach to questions.
On July 3, 1999, he suffered a massive heart attack during a concert in Italy and died instantly.
He was regarded as one of the most underrated and skilled bass players of his generation, with many admirers such as Les Claypool, Mike Watt, and Josh Homme citing Sandman as an influence, of which the former said "Mark Sandman was probably one of the most creative and fabulous bass players I've stumbled across in the last decade or so."
With his signature two-string bass, Sandman created an unusual "slow and murky" sound, which he then incorporated within his band to critical acclaim.
Mark Sandman was born into a Jewish American family in Newton, Massachusetts. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts, then worked a variety of blue-collar jobs, including construction, taxi driving, and commercial fishing. Sandman once noted he would often earn considerable overtime pay, which allowed him to take leave of work and travel outside of New England to places such as rural Colorado—the setting for a number of Treat Her Right and Morphine songs penned by Sandman, including "Thursday," "The Jury," and "I Think She Likes Me."
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