Marc Cohn

Marc Cohn is an American singer-songwriter from Cleveland, Ohio, born in 1959. He works in soft rock and is best known for “Walking in Memphis”, a song from his self-titled debut album that becomes his signature track and is often misattributed to other singers.

Early career and breakthrough

Cohn is discovered by Carly Simon in the mid-1980s while he performs with a 14-piece group called The Supreme Court. Atlantic Records signs him in 1989. Work on his debut album begins with producer David Kershenbaum, but those sessions do not work out. He later records the album again, producing it himself with help from Ben Wisch, who has already assisted with his demos.

His first album, Marc Cohn, is released in 1991. It becomes a major success largely because of “Walking in Memphis”. The album gives him the 1991 Grammy Award for Best New Artist, ahead of Boyz II Men and Seal.

Albums and later work

After his debut, Cohn issues The Rainy Season in 1993 and Burning the Daze in 1998, both on Atlantic Records. He later releases a live compilation, Live 04-05, as a self-released concert title. He also issues The Very Best Of Marc Cohn and his fourth studio album, Join The Parade. His own label is Marc Cohn Music.

Background and influences

Cohn is the most prominent graduate of Beachwood High School in Beachwood, Ohio, and he also attends Oberlin College. As a writer and performer, he is compared with artists such as Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell and Jackson Browne, whose work reflects the kind of songcraft he is associated with.

Personal life and later events

He marries ABC News journalist Elizabeth Vargas after meeting her at the 1999 US Open, where Andre Agassi introduces them. They have two sons, Zachary Raphael and Samuel Wyatt. Cohn also has two children, Max and Emily, from an earlier marriage.

In 2005, he is shot in the head during an attempted carjacking after a concert with Suzanne Vega in Denver, Colorado. He is hospitalised and released the next day, and the rest of the tour is cancelled. He continues to tour and record.