Songwriter and guitarist
Mark Fosson grew up in Kentucky, where he began writing songs while he was still in his early teens. In the late '70s he sent some song demos to
John Fahey's West Coast-based Takoma Records, and
Fahey, impressed with what he heard, offered
Fosson a recording deal.
Fosson lost no time in relocating to Los Angeles and began recording with
Fahey, but as bad luck would have it, Takoma was in some difficulty, and the label soon folded.
Fahey allowed
Fosson to retain the master tapes of the sessions, however. Now located on the West Coast,
Fosson met fellow songwriter
Edward Tree, and the two began working together, eventually forming
the Bum Steers, a
country-tinged group, in the late '80s.
Fosson material appeared on several
soundtracks through the 1990s. In 2001 he began collaborating with
singer/songwriter Lisa O'Kane, who recorded several of his songs, and
Fosson also began recording a solo project, Jesus on a Greyhound, which was eventually released on Big Otis Records in 2005. The record drew positive reviews and
Fosson was frequently compared to
americana artists like
Ramblin' Jack Elliott,
Joe Ely,
John Prine, and
Guy Clark. The
Fahey material finally saw the light of day as The Lost Takoma Sessions from Drag City Records in 2006. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide
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Jesus on a Greyhound