Biography
At age 14, Mark Davis began playing piano in studio sessions and transposing copy work for artists such as Minnie Riperton and Rotary Connection for record industry icons, Phil and Leonard Chess. Shortly thereafter, Mark began working for Curtis Mayfield and Calvin Carter, Founders of VJ Records. At the age of 19, he caught the eye of Motown legend, Berry Gordy and was personally signed to the label. A recipient of over 30 platinum and gold albums, Mark has developed a remarkable thirty-five year reputation as a producer, musician, artist, composer, arranger, and creative business consultant in both music and film. At Motown, Mark worked under the legendary Norman Whitfield and established himself as one of Pop Contemporary and R&B's leading record producers creating albums with artists such as Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Earth, Wind, and Fire, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Ritchie, and the Jackson Five.
After Motown, Davis was hired by Universal Pictures to produce, score, and consult for films like "Animal House," "Car Wash," Richard Pryor's "Bustin' Loose" & "Which Way is Up," as well as Cheech & Chong's - "Next Movie." At the same time, he was hired by Mo Ostin to head up A&R for Warner Brothers Records. There, he consulted on numerous projects for Ostin and Lenny Waronker, producing artists like Natalie Cole, Sly and the Family Stone, and the late George Harrison of the Beatles for his Dark Horse Record Company.
Recently Davis has taken an active role as CEO of Thunder Bay Pictures. He oversees the company's key relationships with artists like Smokey Robinson and coordinates the company's strategic alliances. He also wrote and directed the Company's latest project, "The Evolution of Stem Cell Research."
