“There’s no substitute for a band rockin’ out live . When I perform, I always give it everything I’ve got.”
That energetic and audience pleasing philosophy has made this guitarist, singer and songwriter a mainstay on the live music scene. Mark was inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame in 2010, an honor he shares along with the Goo Goo Dolls, Ani DiFranco, Take 6, Rick James, Grover Washington, Harold Arlen and 10,000 Maniacs just to name a few of the great artists that are also from Buffalo. Mark was honored with the 2002 Buffalo Music Award for Best Traditional Blues Band, the Listener’s Choice Award for Acoustic Blues Act, the 2004 Artvoice Best of Buffalo Award, and the 2005 BluesBeat “Muddy” Local Artist of the Year award. His cover of “Rise and Shine” appears on the national released tribute CD to two time Grammy nominated singer songwriter Peter Case entitled “A Case for Case”. His song “True Love Brings Peace of Mind” was selected to appear on 107.7 FM’s The Lake Local Music CD Vol. 1 to benefit the Music is Art Foundation. Another song of Mark’s, “It Hurts to Say Goodbye”, was chosen to appear on The Lake Local Music CD Vol. 2. His song “Shufflin’ For Blue” is featured on 88.7 WBFO Gives Me the Blues CD Vol. 2. Winsick’s guitar skills landed him a spot on the Maverick Records release, “Hot Guitars from Buffalo, Vol. 1. His own live recording, “Straight Up,” has been played on 88.7 WBFO’s Saturday and Sunday blues shows regularly since it’s release. He donated three songs to a charity compilation called; “Sounds of Buffalo Blues, Volume One,” for cancer research. In the 80′s he recorded two albums with Canadian Gospel artist and songwriter Randell Hill and toured throughout Ontario and Quebec. His producing skills were tapped by blues singer Shaky Ray for his album “Goin Home” of which he co wrote eight songs.
He has shared the stage with Robin Trower, John Hammond, John Hiatt, Shemekia Copeland, Guy Davis, Jim Thackery, Gary Primach, Tommy Castro, and Omar and the Howlers just to name a few. He has also performed with fellow guitarist and W.C. Handy award winner James Solberg, Jack Dekeyser, Peter Case, Gurf Morlix, Michael Pickett, and Chuck Jackson of the Downchild Blues Band. A regular on the Buffalo club scene, he’s also performed at numerous clubs throughout Western New York, Canada and Key West. Mark’s festival appearances include The Fredonia Red, White & Blues Festival, The Lafayette Tap Room Blues Festival and The Ellicottville Winter Blues Festival. He fronts his own quartet which plays original compositions, traditional standards by BB King, Elmore James, and Muddy Waters, contemporary favorites by Stevie Ray Vaughan, Keb Mo and Eric Clapton, and rock n roll, Americana, R&B and funk selections. Led by the searing guitar and evocative vocals of the veteran Winsick, his band always shows up to play with a spirit that gets the crowd moving. That’s not surprising considering those who have influenced and inspired him: from early R&B artists to the bands of the British Invasion, to soul and Motown artists like Jackie Wilson, James Brown, the Temptations, and the Four Tops, and guitar greats BB, Freddie and Albert King, Michael Bloomfield, Eric Clapton and Robben Ford. Winsick’s past band mates include Bob Schultz (Bob Seger), Peter Case (the Plimsouls), Gurf Morlix (Lucinda Williams), and Jim Whitford (the Pine Dogs). He’s worked with Gary Kendall and Jim Casson of The Downchild Blues Band, the Unclaimed, Station a/k/a Big Wooba, Wireless, the Rubber Band, Sunrise and Robin and the Rubes as well as many others. Winsick was an active board member of the Blues Society of Western New York from 1998 to 2009.
