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Mark Hill began
guitar studies with his father, Dave Hill, at
age 10 reading music and studying Chet and
Merle. His father was a Chet stylist in the
1950"s when fingerpicking was still a novelty.
He performed with some of Montreal ’s bigger
country names and was featured in solo Chet
Atkins selections. When Mark was 12 his dad
gave him his first Gretsch, an early 1960's
Anniversary Model, which he still has and
recorded most of his “Picking on Chet” album on.
He and his brother
formed The Hill Brothers in 1990 playing blues
of all styles. They went on the road performing
very successfully in the Maritimes, Quebec,
Ontario and the New England States. They were
in the midst of recording theri first album when
every guitar players worst nightmare hit - a
muscle in his left hand detached from the bone
due to the strain of playing guitar for so many
years.
He couldn't play for
4 years even seeing some of the best specialists
in Canada. Mark thought his musical life was
over. Surgery wasn't an option due to the
sensitive area on the hand. But, after awhile
he took it upon himself to start playing for a
couple minutes each day, and slowly working his
time up. It took a year of this but it came
back! He still has to watch the possibility of
over doing it .
Thanks to God, he
then rejoined The Hill Brothers and recorded 2
CDs - the first being nominated for East Coast
Music Awards. The did very well in the
competition coming in 2nd to a great gospel act
from the Maritimes. |
