Damon Marks
{{short description|American songwriter}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2014}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Damon Marks
| image = Damon Marks2.jpg
| caption = Damon Marks in 2016
| image_size =
| birth_name =
| alias =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1971|10|06}}
| birth_place = Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S.
| occupation = Musician, songwriter, Philanthropist
| instrument = Guitar, vocals
| genre = Hard rock, heavy metal, R&B
| years_active = 1990–present
| label =
| associated_acts =
| website = {{url|damonmarks.com}}
}}
Damon Marks (born October 6, 1971) is an American professional rock and roll guitarist, songwriter, record producer, and philanthropist. Marks is the founder of the Traveling Guitar Foundation, a non-profit that supplies underfunded school systems with support and musical instruments.{{cite news
| title = Traveling Guitar Foundation contributes to music education at Robert Morris School No. 18 in Elizabeth
| work = NJ.com
| date= 2013-03-14
| url = http://www.nj.com/suburbannews/index.ssf/2013/03/traveling_guitar_foundation_co.html}}
He is a spokesman for Merida Guitars and has performed with such artists as Alicia Keys and Bret Michaels.{{cite news
|last=Makin
|first=Cheryl
|title=Traveling Guitar Foundation sets groundwork for success
|publisher = Courier News
|date= 2015-04-18
|url=http://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/middlesex-county/2015/04/18/traveling-guitar-foundation/25980289/
Equipment
Damon presently holds full artist endorsements with Schecter Guitar Research and EMG, Inc. Damon primarily uses the Schecter Banshee Elite-6 FR S with the new sustainiac supercharger pickup system and the Hellraiser Hybrid C-1 FR with EMG Pickups 57/66.{{cite web
|title=Damon Marks
|publisher = Schecter Guitars
|url=http://www.schecterguitars.com/artists/42-damon-marks-traveling-guitar-foundation}}{{cite web|url=http://www.emgpickups.com/artist/index/view/id/729|title=Damon Marks|publisher=EMG Pickups}}
He also endorses the hand crafted Mérida Guitars DG15-SPGACES Diana Series Guitar and the T25-CES Trajan Series Nylon String Guitar.{{cite web|url=http://www.meridaguitars.com/artist|title=Damon Marks|publisher=Merida Guitars|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20140310100315/http://www.meridaguitars.com/artist|archivedate=March 10, 2014|df=mdy-all}}
Discography (with Lipstick Magazine)
- Skin Deep – released August 5, 2008 via Nightmare Records
- Live in NYC – released April 28, 2008 via Lipstick Magazine
- "Skin Deep" – from Skin Deep, released 2008
Discography (with Livre')
- Jericho: Tribe of Joshua - released May 20, 2016, via Sony Music Entertainment
Traveling Guitar Foundation
In 2009, Damon founded the Traveling Guitar Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works to ensure that school children have access to high-quality musical instruments and instruction.{{cite web|title=Traveling Guitar Foundation|url=http://travelingguitarfoundation.org|publisher=Traveling Guitar Foundation|accessdate=January 2, 2010}} By partnering with such sponsors as Schecter Guitars, Merida Guitars, and Blackstar Amplification, the foundation donates new instruments to underfunded schools nationally and internationally.{{cite news
| title = NJ guitarist donates instruments to local music programs
| publisher = WPIX
| date= 2017-06-09
| url = http://pix11.com/2017/06/08/nj-guitarist-donates-instruments-to-local-music-programs/}} By 2015, the foundation had equipped 70 schools and 30,000 students with musical equipment.{{cite news
| title = David Tyree helps support music education
| newspaper = New York Daily News
| date= 2015-04-24
| url = http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/giants/tyree-supports-music-education-blog-entry-1.2197973}}
In early 2013, Damon went on his first celebrity USO tour.{{cite press release|title=Guitarist Damon Marks Reminds Troops and Their Families the USO is Always by Their Side during Morale-Boosting Tour to Germany|url=http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/5/prweb10764378.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130722173153/http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/5/prweb10764378.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 22, 2013|publisher=USO|accessdate=May 1, 2013|via=Prweb}}
On October 24, 2014, Marks was presented with a street sign at a ceremony by Mayor Christian Bollwage of the city of Elizabeth, NJ where he grew up.{{cite web|title=Street Dedication (temp) for Damon Marks/Traveling Guitar Found.|url=https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.629980850455600.1073742146.156947154425641&type=3|publisher=City of Elizabeth NJ – City Hall|accessdate=October 24, 2014|via=Facebook}}
On May 13, 2016, Marks was presented with a second street sign at a ceremony by Mayor Barbara McMorrow of the city of Freehold, NJ recognizing him for his contributions to the education of our children through his foundation. Marks was also presented with a proclamation that on Saturday May 15, 2016, being declared Damon Marks / Traveling Guitar Foundation day.{{cite web|title=Freehold Township Mayor Barbara McMorrow, Damon Marks and Michael Palmisano|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4-yuyBTl8E|publisher=Traveling Guitar Foundation|date=May 17, 2016|via=YouTube}}
References
{{Commons|:Category:Damon Marks|Damon Marks}}
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.damonmarks.com/}}
- {{AllMusic|artist/damon-marks-mn0001018859}}
- [http://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/middlesex-county/2015/04/18/traveling-guitar-foundation/25980289 Traveling Guitar Foundation sets groundwork for success] via myCentralJersey.com
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marks, Damon}}
Category:20th-century American guitarists
Category:20th-century American male musicians
Category:21st-century American guitarists
Category:21st-century American male musicians
Category:American hard rock musicians
Category:American heavy metal guitarists
Category:American male guitarists
Category:American male songwriters
Category:American people of Italian descent
Category:American philanthropists
Category:American rhythm and blues guitarists
Category:American rock guitarists
Category:American rock songwriters
Category:Guitarists from New Jersey
Category:American lead guitarists