Go With The Flow

Often, when someone manages to parlay a true talent into success – real, show-off-to-old-friends-at-the-reunion success – they are, well, a really nice person.

There are a hundred stories about athletes or musicians or politicians who are immensely talented, but never reach that highest level of success because – no one likes them. And sure, there are men and women who are simply transcendent; Michael Jordan was said to be a jerk but it’s tough to argue he isn’t the greatest player of all time. But, more often than not, when you see someone doing quite well and gaining respect from peers and audiences alike, they’re typically a pretty decent person.

For country musician and Longview boy Mark Cooke, writing his music, performing, handling his business – all of it is done with a minimum of fuss. It comes through in his music, onstage and even in an interview. Leaned back in his chair, at ease with himself and what is his life’s passion, Cooke speaks with genuinely good nature about writing and singing, and about getting into the music business proper.

Cooke went to Pine Tree and Union Grove High Schools, graduating in 1993 before joining the Navy. While out of the country, on boats around the world, Cooke reached the conclusion that the military wasn’t for him, but music certainly was. Straight out of the Navy, Cooke came back to Texas and got as far as Corpus Christi where he decided to stick around and form a band. After about six months and little success, Cooke headed north back to East Texas.

“I wanted to go back to East Texas and try to go back to college,” Cooke said with a smile. “We did that for a little while and it didn’t work … But I found myself in East Texas, and within a couple of months I started the band, which was a very, very good band – The Cooke County Line. It was kind of weird how we met. I went to a music store and saw a bulletin board with a thousand business cards on it. So I picked one up and started reading it and a guy walked up behind me – and this is a guy I’ve never seen before – and I asked him if he was in a band. He said, ‘Yeah, that’s my card you’re holding.’ We exchanged numbers and within a week or two, something happened to his singer so he came over to our band. We’ve been together ever since. The lineup has changed over the years, but the guys that I’ve had have been together for the long haul. We’ve been fortunate with that.”

Ask any musician and they’ll tell you, as a young musician or a relatively inexperienced one, being with a set group of players can be a huge boost to your talent and your career. The familiarity can breed comfort and trust, and even casual fans can definitely hear the difference between a ragtag group and one that’s all together on the same page.

“We started around 1998 playing at a restaurant called The Open Air in Kilgore,” Cooke recalled. “I still remember we got $50 a piece for playing that night, and we played there for about a month straight.” From there, the Cooke County Line started playing more shows and booking private parties, staying busy and making a name for themselves and eventually building into a six or seven piece band.”

In 2004, Cooke got his first big break. While serving as the Vice President of the East Texas Songwriters Association, Cooke compiled an EP of some of the songs he’d written over the previous few years. The disc made its way into the hands of A&R representatives from Grand Crew Entertainment in Nashville, affiliated with Music City Records.

“I went up there for this little party that they threw for me, with all these songwriters and singers, and I met the guy who is my boss today…John Gary Smith,” Cooke said. “It’s been a long, hard road of us trying to put a record together. But everything came together, and we have a pretty good record label in Nashville. So I know the right folks, and the investment is great for what we’re trying to do … I know with it being the first album on a national record deal, it’s hard to break through with [my] type of music because there are so many good guys in Nashville. I don’t have an ego to merit all I can do. If this album is successful, I could start ... writing with some of these writers and put more meat on the table with better songs. I’m not worried about that for now.”

The measured and sensible approach may not be the norm in the music business in an industry famous for seeking what’s hot, and what’s going to be hot, but it’s serving Cooke well. Conquer what’s in front of you, then move on. Consider your steps, then take them purposefully and carefully.

“I think if it’s in your cards to be a musician, and you can do it in East Texas, then you can do it,” Cooke said. “I’m not saying the music scene here is totally dead, but it’s more spread out than it is in a place like South Texas. There you can go to a venue and watch live music on almost every corner. But in East Texas, you’ve got to drive. It’s a whole lot harder to keep a fan base since it’s so spread out. But if you can make it in East Texas then you have a pretty good chance of going somewhere.”

Going somewhere is right. Cooke recently packed up and moved to Nashville full time, working with his label Cotton Valley Records. He’s working on his music, recording and filming music videos to back it all up. His debut single, "Can't Cheat in a Small Town", is holding up well on the charts and the video has been in rotationon GAC and CMT.

Cooke is understandably amped up for the direction his career is headed, but of course his feet are still planted firmly on the ground. “I would probably say if you aim high, then you’ll hopefully get to where you want to go,” said Cooke evenly. However, a determined smile did creep onto his face. “But, I am excited. It’s taken 13 years to get where I want. It’s never an overnight success, but it’s been worth hanging in there. There’s been quite a few times I thought about hanging it up: trying to find jobs and trying to play Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. But you never give up on your dream, no matter what it is. Even if it’s opening up a hot dog stand … If that’s what you want to do, then go for it.

“I’m glad I was persistent through the years. If I can make it this far, then I’m sure there’s other dreams out there people can make real.”

And when Cooke speaks about his music, writing, performing, playing – you can hear his voice come alive. The passion behind what he does becomes evident, and it becomes clearer that his passion is harnessed to push him forward, to keep him level-headed as a way to succeed where others approach the problem scattershot. “It’s about doing something you really like doing,” Cooke said, leaning forward. “You don’t look at it like a job or a hobby; it’s your freedom on the stage. You work just like everyone else during the week. But it’s how I release a lot of stress that’s built up over the week. You have to analyze it. I’m getting older every day, so you have to weigh everything out.”

So, Cooke looks ahead to the next step. He looks to what is next. He looks at where and how he can improve his music and performances. He’ll do what needs to be done, work as hard as he can and take the chances as they come to him – using the current instead of fighting against it.

“I don’t want to be some poster child or primadonna,” Cooke said, leaning back again. “The way I dress is pretty average. I don’t talk flashy. If you see me in a crowd, I don’t usually draw attention to myself. I’m very easy-going and laid back. I just go with the flow.”