About
During the worldwide pandemic I found myself searching for the support of a band after over twenty years of solo sets. When thinking of a name, I was then reminded of the times where performing could "sting" the "soul" of the listener or delivering a "sting" when playing a specific song. The authentic conversations with people after singing songs like John Prines' "Angel From Montgomery" have shown me that music can sting souls. Born from those inspirations the name "Soul Stingers" was created. Since 2020 my sets have changed from solo to Soul Stingers and we have been appearing in intimate settings ranging from a duo to a quartet in over 250 dates.”
~Mark David McKinnis
vocal, harmonizer, acoustic guitarist & foot thump
founder of Soul Stingers
Twenty five years producing music, sound design and editing with Jm Associates for ESPN productions, BMI writer/publisher Mark David McKinnis, has since appeared under the radar in over two thousand services covering classic artists songs as a vocal guitar stylist, including a three years, six nights a week appearance at the Crowne Plaza in Little Rock, AR, and for dozens of clients from Malibu to Solvang since moving to California in 2016.
Mark and/or a combination of his current friends in music, Soul Stingers, are available for private events and partnering opportunities.
Martin Young, for over 50 years has been a producer and a well known figure in the Ojai music community. Working with his friend Alan Thornhill, they opened for artists like Taj Mahal, Jackson Brown, and others. He gained experience working with Kenny Loggins, Jimmy Buffet, and toured with country legend Clint Black for 16 years and also played at different televised performances like the Country Music Awards and Good Morning America. The quality of his recorded performance and tone are amazing, just like his amazing sound when he plays live. He remains as the perfect "icing on the cake" in the Soul Stingers slow rockin' band.
Gary Wicks is a second generation bassist, has spent several years touring with The Manhattan Transfer and keeps busy being a member of the group "Is That You", working on soundtrack scores like on the film "The Estate", he owns a social learning community called Gary's Bass Squad, and he does compositions under the Bassygroove Productions title. Gary delivers such an amazing job showing his deep musical sense to each recording and performance.
Tendo Gloria is a secret weapon on vocals, hailing from the vibrant land of Uganda, Tendo's journey has taken her from performing with her spiritual group across the US to gracing our studio with her incredible talent. Not only does she bring her feature vocals to the table, but she also adds a touch of harmony that uniquely and organically elevates the entire recording and performance to new heights.
Michael Rosen is a multi-talented drummer, harmonica player, and producer Originally from Montreal, Canada, living in Hollywood fifty years. He's is a jack of all trades being a member of the Angela O'Neil and The Outrageous8, a photographer that has been in publications like People Magazine, and he owns a recording studio called Media-Shmedia producing records for local artists. He's a true blue musician and a great part in Soul Stingers. “Michael brings the grease"
Bill Flores is a multi-instrumentalist from Ventura, well known in the area as the go to guy for pedal steel, dobro and mandolin. He has performed with a bunch of accredited artists like Jeff Brides and the Abiders, David Crosby, Jackson Brown, Phil Salazar, and Grammy award winner Louie Ortega. The dobro he adds to our renditions of "Hallelujah", "Romeo and Juliet" and "Find My Way Home" are really special and add a lot to the Soul Stingers sound and sets.
Jeff Gross is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and he has added his skill to big budget Hollywood productions like Venom, Rebel Moon, Money Ball, Black List and many more. He’s a New York native who has been in Los Angeles for over 30 years. His musical specialty being percussion, provides a unique sound on the recorded project with the udu, and on live sets playing the cajon and percussion.
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