The Buddy Holly Center and Mark Wallney Continue Summer Showcase 2024
The Buddy Holly Center’s annual Summer Showcase Concert Series continues its season on Thursday, August 1, 2024 with Mark Wallney!
Mark Wallney is an Acoustic/Folk/Rock artist born in Chicago, raised on the west coast and spent three years in Las Vegas before making Lubbock, Texas his home. He is one of Lubbock’s true guitar masters. “I think I was meant to play music,” he said. “Ever since I was a kid, it’s all I ever wanted to do.”
Mark Wallney spent much of his childhood in California and Las Vegas, where his father worked as an engineer. Hearing the Beatles for the first time and the explosion of ’60s-era West Coast bands, a young Wallney realized he wanted to be a musician.
When his father took a job with Litton Industries, the family moved to Lubbock. While attending Mackenzie Junior High, Wallney played his first paying gig. After graduating, he toured for several years with a number of rock and country bands, playing lead guitar.
“Eventually I knew I didn’t want to travel with those bands for the rest of my life,” he said. Wallney began attending Texas Tech University, earning a degree in business and marketing. For many years, he worked in Houston and burned the candle at both ends, working a day job and playing gigs on weekend nights.
“Lubbock tends to draw you back,” he said. Wallney returned with his young family to the Hub City 17 years ago. Currently he teaches at South Plains College in the Commercial Music Department, a unique and inspiring program. “I’m one of the luckiest people in the world. I get to play guitar all day long. I teach country and rock ‘n’ roll. I also teach some of the business classes and music marketing.” He is a certified Nashville Performance Coach.
His solo music is best described as Acoustic/Folk/Rock. “It tends to be more Crosby, Stills, and Nash, the Eagles, the Beatles — that kind of thing,” Wallney said. His recordings include the albums “By Request” with fellow Lubbock musician Mike Pritchard, and “To My Friend” with Betty Smith, producer of the Sounds of West Texas concert series. He has also recorded with the Caprockers, a band of which he is a founding member.
Mark has been performing professionally for 40 years and has shared the stage with James Brown, Firefall, Jerry Jeff Walker, Christopher Cross, Gatemouth Brown, Eric Johnson, Graham Nash, Billy Bob Thornton, The Maines Brothers, Joe Bonnamasa, and Shake Russell.
Mark Wallney performs every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at various locations around town. Check the Facebook page The Hat Trick/Mark Wallney for a complete schedule.
Concerts are every Thursday evening from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Meadows Courtyard, May 16 – August 15. Guests are welcome to bring outside food. However, outside beverages are not permitted after 5:15pm. Admission is FREE! Seating for this event is available on a first come, first serve basis. No reservations will be accommodated for this event. Chairs, picnic blankets, and like items will NOT be permitted inside the gates.
In addition to viewing the concerts, guests are encouraged to walk the Buddy Holly exhibitions and the Fine Arts Gallery during Summer Showcase hours with FREE admission.
The Summer Showcase Concert Series is funded through sponsorships and donations. We appreciate the support of our 2024 sponsors: H-E-B, Grand Central Station Antiques, Mano Negra Brewing Co., Betenbough Homes, School of Rock, South Plains Electric Cooperative, Inc., Fast Signs, Lubbock National Bank, Browning Consulting, Oceans Massage Spa and School, Tarpley Music, Fox Pest Control, FOX34 KJTV, Designs in Thread, and KAMC/KLBK/Everything Lubbock. The concert series is presented in collaboration with Civic Lubbock, Inc. and the City of Lubbock.
Community support helps us keep the Summer Showcase Concert Series free to the public.
If you would like to become a sponsor or make a contribution, please contact Arra Delos Santos at [email protected], or call 806-775-3566.
Follow us @buddyhollycenter for artist spotlights, behind the scenes content, and more! Share your own coverage using #summershowcase2024.
For more information, please visit our website at buddyhollycenter.org or call 806-775-3560.
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