The Houston music community was left reeling this week at the sudden and tragic death of longtime local music staple Mark May.
The blues rock singer/guitarist died on August 12 after being involved in a car accident, later succumbing to his injuries at a local hospital. According to his family member Amanda’s post on the official Mark May Band Facebook page “the unofficial cause of death is cardiac arrest due to smoke inhalation.” Details on a Celebration of Life will also be forthcoming.
May spent most of his career as a solo artist and fronting his own Mark May Band, but also played stints with the late Allman Brothers Band co-founder Dickey Betts’ solo group, Great Southern.
Boyd Bluestein, a former president of the Houston Blues Society, reflected on the man and the musician in an exclusive interview.
“He was really one of the best, and just put smiles on people all around,” Blustein says. “From the downbeat to the last note. I’ve had so much fun enjoying what Mark put out on stage over the years. He was just a sweet, unassuming guy, and quietly personable. He never in my mind seem to be there for any other reason than making music for those who enjoy it.”
Bluestein says he was informed about May’s death via a text from a local musician on Tuesday morning, just as he sat down behind the control board at KPFT radio to start one of his weekly shows, “The Great Wide Open” (the other is Sunday’s “The Blues Cats’ Lounge”).
“When you saw Mark was going to be on the bill, you wanted to go. And he always surrounded himself with the very best players around. Rock frickin’ solid. And magic happens when you bring a collective together like that. That’s what a real professional does, and that’s what Mark did.”
While he was born in Columbus, Ohio, Mark May spent much of his life living and playing in Houston. And while he moved back to his hometown in the early 2010s for several years (partially to spend more time with his sisters and their aging father), he told the Houston Press that H-Town was still on his mind in 2016 before he came back permanently.
“Well, Houston was a hard place to leave,” May said then from his Ohio home—on a cell phone that still had a 713 area code. “Houston has been great to me. It was a great place to learn blues stuff from all the great players who have been there over the years. I had a following and played a lot of good shows. But it was time to also do something different musically.”
In 2019, Mark May represented the Houston Blues Society in the 45th International Blues Challenge in Memphis. His most recent release was 2020’s Deep Dark Demon. He spoke to The Houston Press about the record, but also his thoughts on mortality and legacy.
“I’ve just had a lot of friends who have passed away and you never really know when something’s going to happen to you. It’s also about just getting older and thinking about things that have happened in you. You can’t spend your whole life without even accidentally hurting some people. And you think about things you can to make up for that or face up to things about yourself.”
On Thursday evening, Amanda also posted on the official Mark May Band Facebook page: “First and foremost, the family and I would like to say that we are overwhelmed with the amount of love, support and kindness that everyone in the blues community has shown us over the last few days. We are so grateful for the stories, photos, and videos that people have sent to us. The impact that Mark has made on so many people will truly be treasured forever.”
His girlfriend, Wendy Turner, posted on her social media “Many know Mark the Musician, but I feel so fortunate and privileged to have known Mark the loving Partner, the animal lover, the comedian, the protector, and the lover of life, just to name a few of the many sides of Mark May. I’m so confused as to what to do without Mark….I’m lost. I feel numb. And I’m exhausted. I lost the love of my life and I’ve never felt a hurt like this before.”
On a personal note, I wrote about and/or interviewed Mark several times over the years, stretching back to his 2002 solo effort Doll Maker. Every time we spoke, he was kind, enthusiastic about music, and just as much a blues fan as performer.
I also saw about a dozen of his shows over time, including one gig upstairs at Fitzgerald’s on October 17, 2002. That’s when May joined Dickey Betts & Great Southern shortly after Betts had been fired from the Allman Brothers Band. I regularly listen to my bootleg CD of that show.
Still, my most memorable personal encounter with May was of—in all places—my local Kroger on Jones Road near my home in Cypress. As we ran into each other and were chatting by the self-checkout line, I mentioned that I had actually just slipped out of my Mark May Band “Blues Heaven” T-shirt and put on a different one before heading to the store. He laughed and said “Well, go home and put it back on. I’ll wait for you!”
Boyd Bluestein recalls the last time he saw May was at a festival in Sugar Land. Due to a rain out, May’s opening set was cancelled. But the musician saw Bluestein and some friends setting up their chairs, and May came out and talked to them for about 15 minutes.
“He didn’t have to do that, but he did. That’s the kind of person he was,” Bluestein remembers. When asked what he thinks the ultimate legacy of Mark May will be, his voice falters slightly.
“It’s hard for me not to be trite, but Mark was one of the best and most unique guitarists that Houston has ever had. And I think the level of respect he had from his peers says it all: it was sky high. He was really special. And it’s hard to think that I’ll never see or hear him again.”
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
