Marc Jackson (Composer)

Marc Jackson (born May 6, 1958) is an American composer and musician who has shaped multiple corners of the music industry, from new wave to film scoring. While he first caught the public's attention as a founding member of the techno-pop band RHEMA, Jackson's career has evolved to encompass everything from touring with rock legends to creating music for major Hollywood films.
Early Days
Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Jackson found his musical footing in Phoenix, Arizona, where he co-founded RHEMA in 1980. The band's distinctive techno new wave sound caught the ear of Dick Whitehouse, who signed them to Curb Records in 1983.
The RHEMA Years and Silver Screen Debut
Jackson's entry into the entertainment world took an unusual turn when RHEMA was cast in the 1984 sci-fi musical Voyage of the Rock Aliens. In a quirky twist, he played a mute alien named "AEIOU" while simultaneously wearing his songwriter hat, co-writing three of the film's featured tracks: "Get Out and Dance," "Combine Man," and "That's Life." The band also put their spin on "Let's Dance Tonight" during the Atlanta filming.
Beyond RHEMA
After parting ways with Curb Records, Jackson dove into Los Angeles's music scene, juggling roles as both producer and performer. He hit the road with Donny Osmond, supporting the "Eyes Don't Lie" tour and making an appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show. During this time, he also collaborated with renowned songwriter Harriet Schock and left his mark on jazz recording artist Misha Segal's 1991 album "Zambooka," where his co-production and vocals on "One Time Lover" became a regular feature on LA's The Wave radio station.
New Ventures
Teaming up again with RHEMA bandmate Jeffrey Casey, Jackson formed Heart of One in 1988. The project, produced by guitar virtuoso Paul Jackson Jr., saw them sharing stages with an impressive roster of talent, including Greg Phillinganes, Jon Clark (known for his work on Michael Jackson's Bad tour), Lou Molino III (of Yes, Cock Robin, and Trevor Rabin), and a pre-fame Sheryl Crow. While music industry heavyweight Benny Medina offered them a Warner Bros. Records deal, the stars ultimately didn't align for that particular venture.
The early '90s found Jackson working in the studio, including uncredited drum programming for Richard Marx's "Rush Street" album. By 1995, he stepped back into the spotlight with his solo album "Comedy of Life," produced by Scott Patton (Sugarland), which led to performances across North America. The decade closed with Jackson touring as guitarist for Roger Daltrey and the British Rock Symphony, an ambitious project that merged rock, classical, with soulful choir arrangements.
Moving into Film and Television
In 2004, Jackson joined New Wave Entertainment as Director of Music and music supervisor, where he pulled double duty on HBO's "Dane Cook's Tourgasm" as both supervisor and composer, while also executive producing its soundtrack. His personal project "My Rich Friends" found its way into the show's musical landscape. Since then, he's become a go-to name in movie marketing, creating music for campaigns at major studios from Warner Bros. to Disney.
The new millennium saw Jackson expanding his repertoire. He served as guitarist for the workshop phase of "BKLYN the Musical" under the direction of acclaimed filmmaker Stephen Herek ("Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure," "Mr. Holland's Opus"). His composition career flourished with independent films including "A Savior Red," "Counting Backwards," "The David Dance," and Showtime's "Baby Daddy." A particular highlight was his award-winning short film "Slice," which featured "The Sopranos" stars Vincent Pastore and Kathrine Narducci, alongside comedian Paul Scheer. Jackson's work eventually led to contributing additional music to Kathryn Bigelow's acclaimed "DETROIT" (2017)as well as composing for countless trailers, TV spots and viral campaigns in movie marketing.
Present Day
Jackson continues his work in both composing and providing song placement opportunities for other artists. Jackson's most recent chapter includes launching Sync Music Labhttps://www.syncmusiclab.com in 2024, an online venture helping emerging artists navigate music licensing. He continues creating under various musical aliases: My Rich Friends (heavy industrial), VOTRA (EDM pop), and Techno-Feudalismhttps://https://www.techno-feudalism.com/ (alternative EDM/industrial). In a full-circle moment, 2019 saw him reuniting with RHEMA to release "Shine,"https://https://rhemaband.bandcamp.com/album/shine featuring pandemic-era singles "Life in Front of You"https://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MljSo-oRMA and "Virus."https://https://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FI7k6XR8_JY
Category:1958 births
Category:American composers
Category:American people
Category:Musicians