CMarc

**Christopher Vernon Marconi** (January 25, 1938 - May 13, 2021), also known by his stage name **CMarc**, was an American musician whose career spanned nearly five decades. A big fan of music as a child and young adult, Marconi put his guitar skills to the test with a very successful career, selling more than twenty hit singles. Marconi also served ten years in the military during the Vietnam War.

## Early life and military service

Chris was born in Jacksonville to Becky Marconi, a 35 year old school teacher, and Vernon Marconi, a 68 year old retired professor. He had many friends during his childhood and shared a close bonding relationship with the family dog, Teddy. He also shared a deep compassion for his younger brother, Moe, especially when Moe came out as gay.

Marconi first began taking guitar lessons at the age of 6. He continued taking lessons throughout his childhood, as well as practicing other instruments on the side.

In 1960, after graduating from his university with an undergraduate degree in dance, and all the while during the Vietnam War, Marconi enlisted in the US Army and served for 10 years, recieving an honorable discharge in 1970. He had five promotions:

- Private Second Class (1961)

- Private First Class (1963)

- Specialist (1965)

- Sergeant (1967)

- Staff Sergeant (1970)

## Music career

In 1972, Marconi auditioned as a guitarist for Wishbone Beats. The company offered him a two year contract to produce rock music as a solo artist. Chris used his name to adopt the stage name "CMarc." His debut single, "Show Me The GreyDay," was a commercial success, selling nearly 300,000 copies and doing almost $1.5 million in sales.

The following year, Marconi recorded, sang and produced his second song, "Blue Haze." It was a moderate success, selling 168,618 copies and doing almost $845K in sales.
After his contract expired in 1974, he didn't get to make more music until 1980. At that time, he accepted a new five-year contract with Wishbone Beats. His third single, "Another Slab in the Wall," was a commercial success, selling over 420,000 copies and doing over $2.1 million in sales. One year later, "Another Slab in the Wall" went gold.

After eleven years, "Show Me The GreyDey" finally went gold in 1983. Marconi's 1989 single, "Bye Bye Mommy," was dedicated to his mother, who had died that year at the age of 86. The song was later used by a child hunger hotline for one of their "hardcore and gritty" commercials, which Marconi also starred in.

## Personal life

Marconi and his longtime wife, Lila Roger, an editor, were never able to have a child of their own. Ultimately, they adopted a son, Ezequiel Covarrubias in 1984. Ezequiel was three years old at the time; his parents had died in a fire. Among the firefighters that participated in Ezequiel's rescue was Chief Stanley Phelps, who had been retiring that year. Chris praised Phelps for his courage and for his deed. He and Ezequiel shared a very loving relationship. Marconi dedicated Ezequiel in his 1988 single "My Buddy Ez."

## Death

Chris died peacefully in his sleep on May 13, 2021, aged 83. His net worth was $87,565,616.

## Discography

- "Show Me The GreyDay" (1972)

- "Blue Haze" (1973)

- "Another Slab in the Wall" (1980)

- "I'll Miss You Mom" (1981)

- "I Ain't Got a Kid" (1982)

- "Hey Moe I'm Home" (1983)

- "Brainchild Of Mine" (1984)

- "Hate to Say I Told You So" (1985)

- "We Didn't Chart the Fire" (1986)

- "Come In Sandman" (1987)

- "My Buddy Ez" (1988)

- "Bye Bye Mommy" (1989)

- "Thank You" (1990)

- "You Got Me" (1991)

- "Welcome Sandman" (1992)

- "Hello Jackie" (from "Let it Feed") (1995)

- "Here We Go Again" (1996)

- "Our Great Blue Journey" (from "Old Eagles Still Scream" (1997)

- "I Can't Get No Interaction" (from "Old Eagles Still Scream") (1997)

- "Pictograph" (from "At the Edges of Night") (2000)

- "Abodes of the Holy" (2003)

- "Pinch an Inch" (from "Pitchy Fingers") (2006)

- "Flirtin' With The Master" (2018)