home > Recorded Music

Recorded Music

Courses

Music Business Seminar: Marketing & Distribution

Education

B.A., Mass Communication, Virginia State University
B.M., Music Education, Virginia State University

Biography

Mark Green is the general manager of the 1,365-capacity, non-profit Bergen Performing Arts Center (formerly the John Harms Theater) in Englewood, N.J. He still retains ownership in his New York based booking agency, Celebrity Talent, and is a partner in its U.K. branch, Celebrity Talent UK.After an internship at Sugarhill Records from 1979-1981, Mark began his music industry career at Hush Productions in 1984 where he worked in artist development, tour management and day-to-day activities with record labels. At Hush, Mark worked as Melba Moore’s, Najee, Melisa Morgan and Freddie Jackson’s tour manager and later became a roadie for Eddie Murphy ("Lawd Have Murphy Tour"). He left Hush after two years to join Associated Booking Corp. (ABC) as an agent. During his first year at ABC, Green was responsible for signing the DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, Salt N' Pepa and Kid & Play.Shortly after returning to Hush in 1987 and working with Freddie Jackson, Mark left to join CEMA Distribution as a field marketing rep. During that time he also pursued his dream of producing and writing and earned a #1 single by publishing "Remember The First Time" (Makingator Publishing, BMI) by artist Eric Gable. He went on to produce and write the rap song, "Midnight Hour," for Spice MC on EMI.Mark left CEMA for EMI Records in 1988 and remained there until 1997. At EMI, Mark held various positions: national director of retail (1988-89), sales and marketing director (1989-92) and regional director of promotions (1992-97), where in 1992 he was named Promotions Person of the Year.After nine years at EMI Records, Mark became an independent marketing and promotions consultant. Among his clients were Schieffelin & Somerset Co., Brunswick Records, Relativity Records, Harmony Records, Humility Records, Flavor Unit, Priority Records, Coast to Coast Marketing, Pelle Pelle clothing, Schott Bros. clothing, Trutone Records manufacturing plant, NBA All-stars - Chris Webber & Derrick Coleman.During his consulting period, Mark developed Northstar Distribution for Prince and distributed albums by Prince, Chaka Khan and Larry Graham on the independent label NPG Records and became the general manager for Northstar Distribution.In 2000, Mark started teaching a music course on touring, marketing, management and concert booking one day a week at Baruch College in New York, which he continues today, returned briefly to Associated Booking, and then opened his own booking agency, Celebrity Talent Agency. Some of his artists have included Guru, Maysa, Pastor Troy, Jimmy Sommers, Grandmaster Flash, Li Jon & The Eastside Boyz, among others.In addition to owning his own booking agency, Mark also became general manager of the Bergen Performing Arts Center in New Jersey, which reopened in October 2004. Starting out as program director, Mark was elevated to GM six months later."A lot of my acts have left the agency since I decided to take on this job at The Bergen PAC and others continue to be non-exclusives," he explains. "This has been an amazing experience to have started Celebrity Talent Agency Inc. and to watch it grow and expand to the UK. "Natasha Anderson, formerly with The Agency Group, and I got together and formed Celebrity Talent UK," Mark explains. "There are two other agents that work with Natasha in the UK -- Linda Byrne and Alexander Lawrence. Some of the clients and tours we have worked with are Ice-T, Isaac Hayes, Timbaland, Guru, Grandmaster Flash, Skitz & MCD, Mad Professor, Bailey and Ben E King. As of now, Natasha in the UK and Shelia Wade and Kim Stuart in New York are running Celebrity Talent. As for me, my focus right now is my new career as general manager at the Bergen PAC."Some of the artists Mark has booked at Bergen PAC this year include: Foreigner, Al Green, Michael Bolton, Branford Marsalis, Chaka Khan, Air Supply, Dr. John & Bobby Bland, Art Garfunkel, Johnny Pacheco, Blind Boys of Alabama, Grand Funk Railroad, India Arie, and Dark Star Orchestra.