BAND BIOS
Mike Hunter – Bass Guitar, Vocals
In the spring of 2009, Mike met Mark Gorman at a horse training clinic. Horse talk soon turned to music talk and before long, the 2 men got together at Mark’s Rockin’ G Ranch to play with horses, as well as, to play a little music. A friendship soon emerged. One day, Mark called Mike to ask if he might be interested in collaborating musically. Mark had lately been toying with the idea of resurrecting a new version of the award winning Mark Gorman Band and thought Mike would be the perfect fit. Growing up on the Southside of Chicago, Mike listened to many different kinds of music. He began playing many of those styles from Blues to Classical, Jazz, Big Band, Show Band, Rock, Country, and Bluegrass. He also grew up playing alto, tenor and baritone sax as well as flute. Arriving in Dallas in the early 80s and returning to his family roots, Hunter played in country and classic rock bands around town for several years. Joining Mark to play Gorman’s brand of Texas Country, Rock and Blues seemed like a natural choice. It was. Music and magic continues to flow through Mike as he summons the influences of his bass heroes including Leland Sklar, Jimmy Johnson, Jimmy Fielder, Peter Cetera, and Paul McCartney.
Keaton O’Neal - Vocals
Keaton is by far the youngest member of the Mark Gorman Band. As one of Mark Gorman’s music students since the age of 7, Keaton has not only developed a long lasting relationship with Mark, but has learned much of what he knows about singing and music in general from him. In December of 2010, Keaton auditioned for an open backing vocal spot in the band and landed it. Since then, he has worked his way into the band as an intrigal part of the MGB. Keaton’s tenor voice is, in part, much of the magic in the harmonies of the Mark Gorman Band. His youthfulness and voice lend much to the energy of the band’s live performance.
Darin has been working with Mark as his live sound man for the past ten years adding the magic behind the music. He has been working in sound in the DFW area for close to 30 years during which he has been all over the country working in everything from pop to politics. His credits include radio, TV, film, and theater as well as both regional and national live artists. He has also had the honor of working with three presidents and two first lady's. In the past ten years Mark and Darin have established a friendship beyond the performer/ engineer relationship that gives them the ability to understand each other during performances to create that Texas kind of country that Mark Gorman is so well known for.
David Laakso - Drums
David is a native of North Texas growing up in the Metroplex of DFW. He began playing drums about the time he entered his teens and began exploring many musical genres. David sought out and played in every kind of musical group he could. He has played with rock, pop, country, blues and show bands around North Texas and is also in demand as a studio session player. Laakso is a very musical and versatile drummer. He doesn’t just keep time for the band, although on more than one occasion, Mark Gorman has described David as “a clock”! Although he is very steady in his tempo, his subtle shifts in volume, texture, tone and rhythmic accents have made him an integral part of the Mark Gorman Band. “David Laakso has a wonderful ability to listen to what’s going on around him in the band and truly accompany the singer and other instruments as a pianist would accompany a vocalist,” says Mark Gorman, “He is truly amazing.”
