Early Life
Mark Kendall grew up in Huntington Beach, California. He came from a musically talented family, with his mother belting out smoky tunes as a jazz singer, his father playing jazz trumpet, and his grandfather, a classically trained pianist from the age of thirteen. As such, Mark developed a good ear for melody early on, and has never lost sight of where his ability came from and the musical gifts he netted through his DNA.
He received his first guitar at the age of nine after watching a local band rehearse in a neighbor's garage. His father gave him a Kay acoustic for his birthday and he began to develop a talent to learn songs by ear. The following Christmas his father bought him an electric guitar and amplifier. In addition, his dad also bought him three albums: The Jimi Hendrix Experience's Are You Experienced, Cream’s Disraeli Gears, and The Doors’ Strange Days. These records would prove to be highly influential on his musical life.
In the 4th grade he had already performed at the school talent show with a friend, showcasing four songs: "Wipe Out", "Pipeline", "Gloria" and "Secret Agent Man". Since then, he never put his guitar down even into his teenage years. From the age of eight to eighteen, he played baseball as a strong pitcher who was set to become a professional player. By the time he was eighteen, his arm started hurting after three innings every time he pitched a game and ended up deciding that making music would be his life and priority.
Read more about this topic: Mark Kendall (guitarist)
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