Rock and Roll Mercenary: Music History Happy Hour with Marky Ray
Category: Event Calendar
Date and Time for this Past Event
- Thursday, May 22, 2025 6pm - 9pm
Location
Jilly's Music Room
111 N Main St
Details
For the past five decades Marky Ray (a former member of the Jim Rose Circus, The Lyres, the terrible parade, Death of Samantha, New Salem Witch Hunters, others) has graced stages the world over as a Performer, Musician, Artist, and Entertainer. He is renown as The “Rock and Roll Mercenary” in addition to the aforementioned bands; Marky has worked, toured, and played (in any number of different job descriptions and capacities) with Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, Butthole Surfers, Toadies, Die Warzau, The Cramps, The Pagans, Human Switchboard (numerous others) and on the Lollapalooza debut tours of 1991+ 92. He is also known for his voiceover work, emcee skills, and occasionally bringing down the house with Akron’s own The Walking Clampetts. Marky is also the Outdoor Stages Production Manager of the Annual Tri-C Jazzfest- a two-day Festival featuring over 25 bands on two stages.
For the past 20 years Marky has been teaching his highly successful class Concert Technical Production –RAT 1600 at Cuyahoga Community College and the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland Ohio (where he is also the Production Manager), where his book: “Rock and Roll Mercenary”- serves as his Rock and Roll life story, and class textbook. He is also a Journeyman member of I.A.T.S.E. Local # 48 Akron / Canton Stagehands working at such Northeast Ohio venues as Blossom Music Center, The Akron Civic Theater and E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall, among others.
Marky received his Master of Music Degree in Music History and Literature from the University in Akron in August of 2014. His master’s thesis confirms Cleveland and Northeast Ohio’s underappreciated contributions to the New Wave and Punk Rock movements of the Late 1970’s and early 80’s. Most recently he has worked extensively with the NEO Sound Group at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum and Library + Archives and the Cleveland Memory Project in donating a many important pieces of personal memorabilia, and historical documents that have been given and willed to him by various important local music legends and industry insiders. Including, many rare articles, and artifacts that belonged to the late 1960’s poet d a levy. For the curious, a display of Marky’s tour materials, guitar tech tools, and a quote referring to the touring lifestyle, can be found in the “Backstage Stories” display case in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland Ohio.
