Brian Vander Ark is an American Singer-songwriter best known as lead singer for the band The Verve Pipe. Born in Holland, Michigan, Vander Ark began playing guitar at age 8. At age 18, he was married to then girlfriend Michelle Marthens and had a son named Joshua Vander Ark. Soon after he joined the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany. After release from the army, he and Michelle divorced and he joined the band His Boy Elroy as a guitarist. He eventually quit and started the band Johnny With an Eye. In 1992, he disbanded Johnny With an Eye to form The Verve Pipe with drummer Donny Brown and his brother, bassist Brad Vander Ark, and guitarist Brian Stout. The band recorded two independent albums "I've Suffered A Head Injury" and "Pop Smear"
The Verve Pipe's major label debut, Villains, featured the Vander Ark-penned single "The Freshmen", one of the most successful multi-format tracks of 1997. "Never Let You Down," the lead single from the band's 2001 album, Underneath, was one of the Top 50 Most Played songs for Adult Top 40 and Modern A/C radio in 2001.
Brian Vander Ark released his first solo album, Resurrection, in May 2003. He toured extensively in support of the album, including a double-bill acoustic tour with Butch Walker. Vander Ark's second solo release, Angel, Put Your Face On, was released in May 2006, followed by a self-titled third record in January 2008.
Vander Ark is also an actor, having appeared in the movie Rock Star, 2001. Vander Ark played bassist Ricki Bell, of the fictional band Blood Pollution. The film also featured performances by musicians such as Zakk Wylde, Jason Bonham, Myles Kennedy, Blas Elias and Nick Catanese. Vander Ark wrote the song "Colorful", which appears at the end of the film, sung by the Chris Cole Band, and simulated by Mark Wahlberg. Vander Ark recorded vocals of this song on the soundtrack of the movie. The song is on album Underneath, by The Verve Pipe. He has also appeared in several independent films, including director Matthew Leutwyler's Road Kill, Dead and Breakfast, and Unearthed. Vander Ark also composed the musical scores for Dead and Breakfast and Unearthed.
Brian Vander Ark is married to folksinger Jenna Land, who performs under the name Lux Land. They have two daughters together. His son Joshua from his previous marriage also has a son.
In late 2008, Vander Ark signed a deal with Second Motion Records which re-released his first two albums "Resurrection" and "Angel, Put Your Face On" as well as releasing his new album "Brian Vander Ark"
Famous quotes containing the words brian and/or ark:
“... cooking is just like religion. Rules don’t no more make a cook than sermons make a saint.”
—Anonymous, U.S. cook. As quoted in I Dream a World, by Leah Chase, who was quoted in turn by Brian Lanker (1989)
“You shall hang the curtain under the clasps, and bring the ark of the covenant in there, within the curtain; and the curtain shall separate for you the holy place from the most holy.”
—Bible: Hebrew, Exodus 26:33.