Mark LaMarr Thompson (born December 1, 1955) is an American
radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...
personality (
disc jockey
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include Radio personality, radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music f ...
) and occasional
actor
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...
, best known for the nationally
syndicated ''
Mark & Brian
''The Mark & Brian Show'' was an American radio talk show hosted by Mark Thompson and Brian Phelps, known on the air as "Mark & Brian." The syndicated program aired weekday mornings from KLOS-FM in Los Angeles, California, and blended comedy sk ...
'' morning show.
Early life
After attending the
University of North Alabama
The University of North Alabama (UNA) is a public university in Florence, Alabama. It is the state's oldest public university. Occupying a campus in a residential section of Florence, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes ...
, Thompson worked as a disc jockey at several stations in the southern United States (including WHHY AM 1440 in Montgomery, Alabama) before meeting his partner
Brian Phelps in
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...
in 1986. The next year the duo moved their show to
KLOS-FM Klos or KLOS may refer to:
*Klos (surname)
*Klos, Dibër, a town in eastern Albania
** Harketari Klos KF, a defunct football club based in Klos, Dibër
*Klos, Elbasan, a village in central Albania
* Klos, Mallakastër, a village in south-central Alb ...
in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, where they remained until the show's end in 2012. Thompson's wife, Lynda, their three children (Matthew, Amy and Katie), his nephew David, and his niece Nina are well-known among regular listeners of the program. Thompson plays drums and is a huge
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
fan. He and Brian both garnered a 1991 National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Award as "Air Personalities of the Year."
Career
The popularity of ''
The Mark & Brian Show
''The Mark & Brian Show'' was an American radio talk show hosted by Mark Thompson and Brian Phelps, known on the air as "Mark & Brian." The syndicated program aired weekday mornings from KLOS-FM in Los Angeles, California, and blended comedy sk ...
'' gave Thompson several opportunities to branch out into other entertainment media. In 1991-92, he and Phelps hosted a short-lived
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
TV series, ''
The Adventures of Mark & Brian'', based on their radio show. Thompson has also appeared in several motion pictures, notably ''
Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday'' (the 1993 ninth installment in the ''
Friday the 13th
Friday the 13th is considered an unlucky day in Western superstition. It occurs when the 13th day of the month in the Gregorian calendar falls on a Friday, which happens at least once every year but can occur up to three times in the same year. ...
'' series) and ''
The Princess Diaries
''The Princess Diaries'' is a series of epistolary young adult novels written by Meg Cabot, and is also the title of the first volume, published in 2000. The series revolves around Amelia 'Mia' Thermopolis, a teenager in New York who discovers ...
'' (2001). He also wrote & starred in the 2002 independent film, ''Mother Ghost'', and briefly appeared as a love interest (coincidentally named Brian) of
Reba McEntire
Reba Nell McEntire (born March 28, 1955), or simply Reba, is an American country music singer and actress. Dubbed " the Queen of Country", she has sold more than 75 million records worldwide. Since the 1970s, McEntire has placed over 100 single ...
's character on three episodes in the 2002-2003 season of the
Reba television show.
On June 13, 2012, Thompson announced that he would be retiring from radio after 25 years and would move to
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
with his wife, mentioning that his new home would be equipped with a studio that would allow him to do occasional media work. His last day at KLOS was August 17, 2012. Thompson and his wife now host ''The Mark & Lynda Podcast,'' which focuses primarily on relationship issues. In addition, Thompson co-hosted the ''Pro Football Slam'' podcast with ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' journalist Sam Farmer during the 2013-2014 football season. That podcast did not return for the 2014-2015 season. He also began hosting the ''Cool Stories in Music'' podcast in December 2013. According to Thompson, the podcast is inspired by the biographies, stories, and chart trivia segments of the
Kasem-era
American Top 40
''American Top 40'' (previously abbreviated to ''AT40'') is an internationally syndicated, independent song countdown radio program created by Casey Kasem, Don Bustany, Tom Rounds, and Ron Jacobs. The program is currently hosted by Ryan Seacr ...
radio program.
On December 8, 2014, Thompson announced on his podcast he would be returning to morning radio in Los Angeles and that he would be doing morning drive from his home studio in
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
. The Mark and Lynda podcast will continue, but will be shifted later in the day and will be shorter. He also announced that Cool Stories in Music will be syndicated on Sunday on the same radio station.
Thompson began hosting a radio show, "Mark in the Morning" which started on February 2, 2015 on rival classic rock station
100.3 KSWD The Sound in Los Angeles. His on-air talent includes
Andy Chanley
Andy Chanley (born July 29, 1968) is an American voice-over artist, actor, and radio personality. He is a native of Greenwood, Indiana and resides in Los Angeles, California.
Career
Andy Chanley attended Purdue University in West Lafayette, In ...
, Gina Grad, and his daughter, Katie Thompson, as "Chick on the Street". Daniel Mizrahi is the only staff member he brought over from his time at KLOS. Mark was eventually let go from his position due to low ratings, and exited KSWD on August 3, 2016, and plans to launch a syndicated radio program, "Cool Stories in Music."
On August 17, 2020 The Radio Hall of Fame has announced its list of inductees for its 2020 class. Longtime 95.5 KLOS Los Angeles morning hosts Mark Thompson and Brian Phelps (Longstanding Local/Regional). https://www.radiohalloffame.com/2020-inductees
In September 2022, Thompson released his memoir, Don't Bump the Record, Kid: My Adventures With Mark and Brian''
' () and appeared at various events on his book tour.
References
External links
* http://www.mandlstudios.com/
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Mark
American radio DJs
1955 births
Living people
University of North Alabama alumni
People from Florence, Alabama