Mark Greenberg

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself” - FDR

Welcome to my website. Here you’ll find a small snapshot of my life and work. 

Life is defined by the risks we take, the challenges and failures we face and our ability to persevere to overcome them. When facing our own fears, faith, courage and love will conquer them as well.

Early On:

My life has been filled to the brim with music, arts, business and philanthropy. 

I grew up in Granby CT, an idyllic old small town in the middle of nowhere. 

My parents instilled in me the idea that I could truly do whatever I wanted. I still believe it. (Ok, pro basketball, maybe not.) 

Someone recently described me as “the most competitive mother€%#&* I know”. (In the context of my recent events below)

I’d agree with that and say mostly with myself, always pushing to be better. 

I raced soap box derby. I won both my junior & senior divisions, first try. I think I just really wanted to get it over with, as quickly as possible. 

I practiced a lot of martial arts, was the youngest in my club to go to special trainings and the youngest to earn my shodan (first degree black belt) on my first try. 

Though……

I was a terrible basketball player. I was only on the team, I guess, because I was friends with everyone on the team. To put it into perspective, one of the few times I actually played I had a breakaway & I missed my layup……..fortunately. It was the wrong net….

At age 14 I picked up the drumsticks and never looked back. A year later I was the only one from my high school to be selected for the 1st CT All State Jazz Band. A year later I was honored to be selected by the McDonalds All American Marching & Jazz Bands as well as numerous grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and a full scholarship to Berklee for Performance. At Berklee, our gospel choir competed in a competition and I won the award for best drummer. Things happened really fast. I’m not sure it was “natural” or I was a “natural”. It was a lot of really hard work and the belief that I could truly do anything…..that was my fuel.

My Musical Life:

I’ve toured the world, recorded, performed and guested with Dickey Betts Band, Great Southern, Roomful of Blues, The Miles High Club (house band on The View) Kurt Rosenwinkle, Tongue ‘n Groove (Deep Banana Blackout), Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band, The Berklee Gospel Choir, Kenya Hathaway, .moe, Patti Rothberg, Susan Tedeschi, Dana Fuchs, Ronnie Earl, Delmar Brown, Luba Dvorak among others. As a leader I’ve toured Japan with Pimp The Cat (Kenny Intl., Records) and now Great Southern. I hosted The Bitter End All Star Jam for 16 years at NYC’s legendary The Bitter End. 

I’m really excited about my 2 current projects which are Great Southern and Bump City. 

Great Southern was founded by Allman Brothers Band founding member Dickey Betts. Dickey personally blessed the continuance of the Great Southern legacy which includes members of the 2000 Dickey Betts Band members.

Bump City my other passion project, is a tribute to Oakland’s legendary r&b band Tower of Power which includes former members of the original band.

I endorse and play Zildjian Cymbals, Vic Firth Sticks, Evans Drum Heads, Tackle Dry Goods, Yamaha Drums & Brownie Snares. 

Acting:

As an actor, which wasn’t part of my original plan, I’ve been lucky to have played principal roles in Law & Order, Rescue Me, Life On Mars, And that Music Never Stopped, The Big Wedding among others as well as having produced music for Rescue Me. 

My path was interesting, but more importantly my own. Every day was exciting, full of creativity and amazing people. 

My drive and perseverance became crucial to my life today.

My Battle, My Victory:

It was nearly cut very short by a battle with advanced Stage IV Metastatic Acinar Pancreatic Cancer. Cancer picked a fight with the wrong guy and despite the odds, I was ready for it. Armed with the big “F’s” (friends, family, faith and ferocious resolve) I walked right past the worst “F” of them all….. fear……. And never once looked back. I was not going to become another victim, but a victor. My body and life have come back ten fold and the fire of hope burns even brighter on my path forward. 

If you or someone close to you is dealing with something like this, I invite you to read my story. By giving others hope and spreading awareness of what I’ve learned makes all of the pain I endured, worthwhile. My journey with pancreatic cancer.