Mark Karan has played guitar and sung for a number of different artists, including Dave Mason, Huey Lewis, Paul Carrack, Delaney Bramlett,[1] Sophie B. Hawkins, and The Rembrandts.[2] From 1986-1989 he was the guitarist and co-producer for the band Slings & Arrows which included Daniel Levitin on bass.
In 1998 he was selected, along with Steve Kimock, to fill Jerry Garcia's slot in The Other Ones,[3] a band featuring former members of the Grateful Dead. He played with the Other Ones on their 1998 and 2000 tours, and appeared with the 1998 lineup on their only album, the live compilation "The Strange Remain" in 1999. He has also played with Mickey Hart's Planet Drum and Phil Lesh & Friends over the years.
In 1998, Karan joined RatDog,[4] a band led by Grateful Dead alumnus Bob Weir. Karan was part of the RatDog lineup for most of the next 13 years. He also records or composes a wide variety of music for film, television, and music libraries. His contributions to TV alone can currently be heard on over 15 networks and internationally in over 25 countries.
On June 30, 2009, Karan released his debut album Walk Through the Fire to critical acclaim.[5][6][7] It features Delaney Bramlett, Billy Payne, Mike Finnigan, Pete Sears, John Molo, Hutch Hutchinson, The Persuasions, The Rowan Brothers, and many more.
His TV appearances include Austin City Limits,[8] VH1 Classic's All Star Jams,[9] Late Night with Conan O'Brien,[10] Late Late Night with Craig Kilborn,[11] Today Show and Regis & Kathy Lee. Karan has also been showcased in live performances and featured interviews on SiriusXM, in addition to commercial and specialty radio nationwide.
Karan also sometimes tours while leading his own band.[12] He is scheduled to play in a band called Live Dead 69 as part of the Airplane Family & Friends tour in December 2016.[13]