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John & Mary is a United States-based
folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers s ...
duo featuring
John Lombardo John Lombardo (born 30 September 1952) is one of the founding members of the American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs and one of the band's most influential members, writing much of its early material. He is also a member of folk rock duo Joh ...
and
Mary Ramsey Mary Ramsey (born December 24, 1963) is a member of folk rock duo John & Mary and lead singer and violinist for the American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs. Ramsey has also worked with other well-known artists such as Jackson Browne, Goo ...
both members of
alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commerci ...
band
10,000 Maniacs 10,000 Maniacs is an American alternative rock band that was founded in 1981. They have released nine studio albums, six EPs, and five live albums. They achieved their most significant success between 1987 and 1993, when they released four album ...
.


History


1989–1993

John & Mary was formed by
John Lombardo John Lombardo (born 30 September 1952) is one of the founding members of the American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs and one of the band's most influential members, writing much of its early material. He is also a member of folk rock duo Joh ...
and
Mary Ramsey Mary Ramsey (born December 24, 1963) is a member of folk rock duo John & Mary and lead singer and violinist for the American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs. Ramsey has also worked with other well-known artists such as Jackson Browne, Goo ...
soon after they first met in
Buffalo, NY Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...
in December 1989. Lombardo, one of the founding members of
10,000 Maniacs 10,000 Maniacs is an American alternative rock band that was founded in 1981. They have released nine studio albums, six EPs, and five live albums. They achieved their most significant success between 1987 and 1993, when they released four album ...
and responsible for much of their early sound, had left the band in 1986 due to "creative and political" differences. The pair signed with
Rykodisc Rykodisc is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, operating as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance. History Claiming to be the first CD-only independent record la ...
in 1990 and recorded their first album ''
Victory Gardens ''Victory Gardens'' (1991) is the debut album from John & Mary, recorded in 1990 just six months after the two met in December 1989 and immediately following their signing with Rykodisc. John Lombardo, former member of 10,000 Maniacs and respon ...
'' which was released in 1991, and were the opening act for the Maniacs on the Time Capsule Tour in late 1990. They followed up with their second release, '' The Weedkiller's Daughter'', also on
Rykodisc Rykodisc is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, operating as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance. History Claiming to be the first CD-only independent record la ...
, in 1993.


1994–2000

Both joined (or re-joined) the Maniacs as full-time members in 1994 after Natalie Merchant's departure. The duo released two albums with the Maniacs, 1997's ''
Love Among the Ruins Love Among the Ruins may refer to: Literature * "Love Among the Ruins" (poem), a poem by Robert Browning * ''Love Among the Ruins. A Romance of the Near Future'', a novel by Evelyn Waugh * ''Love Among the Ruins'', a novel by Warwick Deeping * ''L ...
'', which contained a cover of the
Roxy Music Roxy Music are an English rock band formed in 1970 by Bryan Ferry—who became the band's lead vocalist and principal songwriter—and bassist Graham Simpson. The other longtime members are Phil Manzanera (guitar), Andy Mackay (saxophone ...
song " More Than This" that reached number 25 on the U.S. Hot 100 chart, and 1999's ''
The Earth Pressed Flat ''The Earth Pressed Flat'' is the seventh album by 10,000 Maniacs, released in 1999. The album contains nine songs that had been written for, but not used in, the band's previous album, '' Love Among the Ruins'': "The Earth Pressed Flat", "Once ...
''. Lombardo and Ramsey continued to perform occasionally as John & Mary between tours. After the death of the Maniacs' lead guitar player
Rob Buck Robert Norman Buck (August 1, 1958 – December 19, 2000) was an American guitarist and founding member of the alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs. Some of his compositions with Natalie Merchant are among the most popular songs recorded by 10, ...
in December 2000, the Maniacs went on hiatus, following which, Ramsey was replaced with singer
Oskar Saville Oskar Saville is the former lead singer of Chicago-based Rubygrass, and is also a solo artist. She served as lead vocalist for 10,000 Maniacs from 2002 to 2007, and is now a "transformational energy coach" and psychic. She believes, "You were born ...
from the Chicago-based band
Rubygrass Oskar Saville is the former lead singer of Chicago-based Rubygrass, and is also a solo artist. She served as lead vocalist for 10,000 Maniacs 10,000 Maniacs is an American alternative rock band that was founded in 1981. They have released nin ...
. Lombardo quit the group at the same time.


2001–2006

After leaving
10,000 Maniacs 10,000 Maniacs is an American alternative rock band that was founded in 1981. They have released nine studio albums, six EPs, and five live albums. They achieved their most significant success between 1987 and 1993, when they released four album ...
, John & Mary began work on a new album in 2001. '' The Pinwheel Galaxy'' was released in December 2002 and the duo began a ten date national tour to promote it. The two performed locally around Buffalo regularly from 2002 to 2006. Ramsey was rehired by
10,000 Maniacs 10,000 Maniacs is an American alternative rock band that was founded in 1981. They have released nine studio albums, six EPs, and five live albums. They achieved their most significant success between 1987 and 1993, when they released four album ...
as a viola player and backing vocalist for the 2006 shows with
Oskar Saville Oskar Saville is the former lead singer of Chicago-based Rubygrass, and is also a solo artist. She served as lead vocalist for 10,000 Maniacs from 2002 to 2007, and is now a "transformational energy coach" and psychic. She believes, "You were born ...
and returned to the lead vocalist spot after the departure of
Saville SAVILLE is a classified NSA Type 1 encryption algorithm, developed in the late 1960s, jointly by the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) in the UK and the National Security Agency (NSA) in the US. It is used broadly, often for voice e ...
in 2007.


2007–present

In late 2006, John & Mary began working with a new backing band, the Valkyries, made up of some of the best local Buffalo musicians, and their latest album, ''
Peace Bridge The Peace Bridge is an international bridge between Canada and the United States at the east end of Lake Erie at the source of the Niagara River, about upriver of Niagara Falls. It connects Buffalo, New York, in the United States to Fort Er ...
'' was released the following year. Lombardo and
Ramsey Ramsey may refer to: Geography British Isles * Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, a small market town in England * Ramsey, Essex, a village near Harwich, England ** Ramsey and Parkeston, a civil parish formerly called just "Ramsey" * Ramsey, Isle of Man, t ...
both have continued to appear regularly with
10,000 Maniacs 10,000 Maniacs is an American alternative rock band that was founded in 1981. They have released nine studio albums, six EPs, and five live albums. They achieved their most significant success between 1987 and 1993, when they released four album ...
during 2008–2017 as well as doing regular shows as John & Mary with the Valkyries.


Band members

*
John Lombardo John Lombardo (born 30 September 1952) is one of the founding members of the American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs and one of the band's most influential members, writing much of its early material. He is also a member of folk rock duo Joh ...
- Lombardo, an original member of
10,000 Maniacs 10,000 Maniacs is an American alternative rock band that was founded in 1981. They have released nine studio albums, six EPs, and five live albums. They achieved their most significant success between 1987 and 1993, when they released four album ...
, co-wrote most of the early Maniacs songs, but left the band in 1986. He returned in 1994 with
Mary Ramsey Mary Ramsey (born December 24, 1963) is a member of folk rock duo John & Mary and lead singer and violinist for the American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs. Ramsey has also worked with other well-known artists such as Jackson Browne, Goo ...
, and picked up where he left off by writing and shaping the band's music for two albums, ''
Love Among the Ruins Love Among the Ruins may refer to: Literature * "Love Among the Ruins" (poem), a poem by Robert Browning * ''Love Among the Ruins. A Romance of the Near Future'', a novel by Evelyn Waugh * ''Love Among the Ruins'', a novel by Warwick Deeping * ''L ...
'' (1997) and ''
The Earth Pressed Flat ''The Earth Pressed Flat'' is the seventh album by 10,000 Maniacs, released in 1999. The album contains nine songs that had been written for, but not used in, the band's previous album, '' Love Among the Ruins'': "The Earth Pressed Flat", "Once ...
'' (1999). He left the band again in 2002 and returned as a touring member in 2015. *
Mary Ramsey Mary Ramsey (born December 24, 1963) is a member of folk rock duo John & Mary and lead singer and violinist for the American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs. Ramsey has also worked with other well-known artists such as Jackson Browne, Goo ...
- Ramsey opened up
10,000 Maniacs 10,000 Maniacs is an American alternative rock band that was founded in 1981. They have released nine studio albums, six EPs, and five live albums. They achieved their most significant success between 1987 and 1993, when they released four album ...
shows with John Lombardo as John & Mary in 1990, and played
viola ; german: Bratsche , alt=Viola shown from the front and the side , image=Bratsche.jpg , caption= , background=string , hornbostel_sachs=321.322-71 , hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded by a bow , range= , related= *Violin family ...
and sang backing vocals with the Maniacs on a few songs in 1990-1991. She was a touring musician with the band in 1992-1993, playing viola and singing backing vocals. When Natalie Merchant left 10,000 Maniacs in 1993, Ramsey replaced her on lead vocals and added the viola as a main instrument of the band, starting with live shows in 1994 and continuing on until 2001.
Oskar Saville Oskar Saville is the former lead singer of Chicago-based Rubygrass, and is also a solo artist. She served as lead vocalist for 10,000 Maniacs from 2002 to 2007, and is now a "transformational energy coach" and psychic. She believes, "You were born ...
replaced her as lead singer in 2002, but Ramsey again became a touring musician with the band in 2006, singing backing vocals and playing viola on select songs. She was lead singer for the band again for their final show of 2007 after Oskar Saville left the band and continues in that role. * The Valkyries - the initial line up in 2006 and on their 2007 release ''
Peace Bridge The Peace Bridge is an international bridge between Canada and the United States at the east end of Lake Erie at the source of the Niagara River, about upriver of Niagara Falls. It connects Buffalo, New York, in the United States to Fort Er ...
'' included Patrick Kane on lead guitar, Rob Lynch on drums, Joe Rozler on keyboards, Nelson Starr on keyboards, and Kent Weber on bass guitar.


Discography


John & Mary

*''
Victory Gardens ''Victory Gardens'' (1991) is the debut album from John & Mary, recorded in 1990 just six months after the two met in December 1989 and immediately following their signing with Rykodisc. John Lombardo, former member of 10,000 Maniacs and respon ...
'' (1991) *'' The Weedkiller's Daughter'' (1993) *'' The Pinwheel Galaxy'' (2002)


John & Mary & the Valkyries

*''
Peace Bridge The Peace Bridge is an international bridge between Canada and the United States at the east end of Lake Erie at the source of the Niagara River, about upriver of Niagara Falls. It connects Buffalo, New York, in the United States to Fort Er ...
'' (2007)


References


External links

*
John and Mary and the Valkyries MySpaceMary Ramsey - Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:John And Mary American musical duos Folk rock duos Male–female musical duos American folk musical groups American folk rock groups Rock music groups from New York (state) Musical groups established in 1989 Rykodisc artists 10,000 Maniacs 10,000 Maniacs members Musical groups from Buffalo, New York