11 Facts About Mark Wirtz

Mark Philipp Wirtz was a German-French pop music record producer, composer, singer, musician, author, and comedian.

Mark Wirtz was born in Strasbourg, and raised in Cologne, Germany.

Mark Wirtz began his music career while studying art at London's Fairfield College of Arts and Sciences.

Mark Wirtz was studying drama at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art when his college rock band, The Beatcrackers, were signed to a recording contract in 1963 as Mark Rogers and the Marksmen by EMI producer Norman Newell.

Mark Wirtz reached global success with his production of "Excerpt from A Teenage Opera", recorded by Keith West.

Mark Wirtz was married to singer Ross Hannaman for a period of time.

In 1970, Mark Wirtz moved to Los Angeles to accept an invitation by his fellow expatriate producer and friend Denny Cordell to work with him at Hollywood's Shelter Records.

In 2004, giving in to the plea from his daughter Nicole to produce her rock-band-leader boyfriend's debut album, Mark Wirtz flew to Barcelona and returned to the studio for the first time in many years to produce Les Philippes' Philharmonic Philanthropy.

In January 2006, Mark Wirtz found a path back into comedy by collaborating with Jacksonville, Florida's "Jax Comics" group of working comedians, initially working out at the Comedy Zone, then moving on by touring the southeast's comedy clubs in the development of his stand-up comedy act.

In 2010, Mark Wirtz produced an all-new solo studio album, Lost Pets 2, scheduled for international release by PoppyDisc Records in October 2010.

Mark Wirtz died on the morning of 7 August 2020 from Pick's disease.