Gerry Markman

Gerry Markman, guitarist and manager of Steve's Music Store, Toronto, is widely recognized as one of Canada's best kept musical secrets.

Biography

Gerry Markman was born August 16, 1950 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He began playing guitar at age 12 after listening to his sister, Mirel, play. He remembers the folky influence she had on him and to this day is jokingly quoted as saying: "D, A7 and G, the only chords you'll ever need."

Over the next 15 years Markman toured and recorded with the Max Band and Dandy Batt. His single "The Flying Dutchman" became a cult favourite.

In 1977 he moved to Toronto, Ontario to open the second location of Steve's Music Store. Gerry played with the Cameo Blues Band and met Malcolm Tomlinson. Gerry left Steve's Music in 1981 to devote himself entirely to playing and toured with The Lincolns, opening for the late Robert Palmer and played with The Alannah Myles Band. On special occasions, Markman also performed with legends Dan Aykroyd and Jeff Healey. His recording credits include Rosenshontz (It's The Truth), Michael Vincent (Home In The Forest), Tapestry (I Need Your Lovin'), and Ron Wiseman (Mystical Mood).

In 1991 Markman returned to Steve's Music and continued playing with The Gerry Markman Band, The French Connection and Curley Bridges. He led The Ruanne's House Band in Barrie hosting dozens of Ontario's finest musicians as guests and twice was musical director for the Barrie Music Awards. He became the driving force of the rockin' blues band The Sensations, based out of Orillia, Ontario.

Gerry still plays with The Sensations, Malcolm Tomlinson and occasionally the Partland Brothers. He also performs as a solo acoustic artist.

Gerry was profiled in the Jan 2008 issue of CMT (Canada Music Trades) magazine.