Band Bios

Dallas Marks Biography By Bill Stone

Named for its front man and lead singer, Dallas Marks evolved into a household name since making its debut nearly five years ago. The music scene is taking notice of the quintet hailing from the hills of Allegheny. Invoking a sound drawn from a wide array of musical genres, the band includes a little bit of everything. The group is a self-styled Top 40 Country act and the grit, twang and tasty guitar licks of such are evident, but a proficient display of both classic and southern rock tunes is managed without sacrificing integrity or fidelity. Their live shows, consisting of both cover and original tunes, are responsible for Dallas Marks acquiring quite the geographically diverse fan base.

Lead guitarist Chris Brenner drives the song with stellar lead guitar riffs and chops, fluently articulating the framework of the composition.

Bob "Crafty" Crafton - Bob's pedal steel performance is an intricate addition to the unique style of the band.

Stan Brusoski contributes ample bass, dropping thunderous but appropriately placed bombs which would make Thor himself proud.

A competent Bill Gendron pounds the skins with a fervor of rhythmic intensity. Rounding it all out is Marks with his polished vocalistic musings. In an era overpopulated with lead singers,

Marks is like a breath of fresh air. The end result of this assemblage of fine musicians is a sublime musical soup concoction, a bricolage of success. Dallas Marks warmed the crowds for national acts such as Sammy Kershaw, Joe Nichols, Randy Travis, Trace Adkins, Charlie Daniels, Billy Currington and Phil Vassar. The band was featured twice on Froggy Radio Station's "Hometown Country," and performed at venues and events such as The Pepsi Roadhouse, Three Rivers Regatta, Big Butler Fair and The Post Gazette Pavilion. Dallas Marks recently teamed up with Nashville songwriters to work on recording an original CD which will be released nationwide sometime next year. Dallas Marks' star is on the rise!

Band Bios

DALLAS MARKS - Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar

Some say it takes years to create an overnight success. You take small steps and work your way up. That maywith a gold record producer; fronts a band of musicians that has played with top country stars; and secured a record deal with an Indie label in under six months. Not bad for a few first steps! According to Dallas Marks, he's been on the run since the beginning. "I have to remind myself to catch my breath now and then," says Dallas. His sprint began October 2001 when the 6'3, blue-eyed Marks won a vocal competition at a George Strait concert. This contest, one of twelve Dallas had won that year, required him to beat out 1,500 other participants to win a recording session in Nashville in November. "Management has had me running since day one and they say that this is the easy part but I look forward to the challenge." Recently, while visiting a country dance hall, Marks had the chance to preview the public's reaction to his songs. The DJ honored Marks' request to play 2 orginal recordings. Marks, who was overwhelmed by new fans, later remarked. "By the end of the second song I had signed over 200 autographs!"

CHRIS BRENNER -Lead Guitar

Chris was born and raised on the streets of Pittsburgh. At 16 Chris borrowed $85, jumped 2 buses across the city and found his first guitar in the basement of a Northside pawn shop.Through the years as his passion and dedication increased, Chris has found himself sharing the stage with a host of local musicians.He has pulled influence from a vast array of musical genres, and has even touched on the teachings of music theory at Duquesne University. Today he continues to gather inspirations, applying them to create a personal style and presence you'll find hard to forget.

BILL GENDRON - Drums, Vocals 

Bill has been playin drums since he was a small child & has been playing professionally since ‘92. Gendron's musical spectrum is pretty diverse. He has been in heavy rock bands, classic rock and had an all original band called SPORADIC which played everything from Jazz to progressive funk, reggae, soul with a little hip hop. Gendron has had the opportunity to open for acts like Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead Bassist), Lee Rocker, The Jerry Garcia Band, Derek Trucks, played the side stage at Dave Matthews and most recently opened for Randy Travis. Gendron listens to pretty much every genre of music from country to jazz and everything in between.

STAN BRUSOSKI -  Bass, Vocals 

From the moment Stan bought his first Rush album in middle school, he knew he wanted to play bass guitar. His first appearance on the Pittsburgh music scene was with the well-known band 18 Names in the late 1980's. Since that time he has played with several cover and original bands, appearing both live and in the studio around Pittsburgh. Before joining the Dallas Marks band, Stan played for most of the past 13 years with Pittsburgh's premier local Irish rock band Red Hand Paddy. His influences include Gedy Lee and Sting. Favorite hobby: rattling drink glasses off of barroom tables.

BOB 'CRAFTY' CRAFTON -  Pedal Steel, Dobro, & multiple stringed instruments

Known simply as "Crafty" to fellow musicians and fans alike, Bob is a multi-instrumentalist with many years of performing, recording, & teaching experience. Bob's professional career began with Back Up & Push, a regionally popular country band based in Pittsburgh. Performing all over the eastern United States & Canada, Back Up & Push appeared on stages with The Oak Ridge Boys, Merle Haggard, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, Marty Robbins, Slim Whitman, and many other top country stars. Their single, "Old Jack Daniels," featuring Bob's country-rock pedal steel, rose to number 13 on the Pittsburgh country music charts. Bob has performed with a diverse list of performers over the years, including Ralna English (from the Lawrence Welk Show), The Charlie Prose Comedy Show, Latshaw Productions "Laurel Mountain Jubilee," fiddle player Jana Jae (from the Hee Haw TV show), The Four Aces, comedian and mandolinist Jethro Burns, David Grayson, Cahal Dunne, Anne Feeney, The Povertyneck Hillbillies, and many others. His theater experiences include the musical productions "Always, Patsy Cline" and "Melvin the Moose's Misguided Christmas Adventure." Bob's unique pedal steel and Dobro styles have been featured on the recordings of many local entertainers including Dallas Marks, Gashouse Annie, Steve DeRose, Dave Gasbarro (The Gas Band, Fungus), Leslie Smith, D.C. Fitzgerald, The Bo Sloan Band, Common Threads, Anne Feeney, Bob Hansel, Lois Scott, The Povertyneck Hillbillies, and others. Bob currently resides in Donora, PA with his wife Marie, and sons Bobby and Eric. Bob also teaches private lessons on guitar, dobro, pedal steel, and bass.

PATRICK 'TRICKY' MANION-  Fiddle, Vocals