Hanging on the wall inside Penn State graduate Mark Ross’ house lies an old Danelectro silvertone guitar, covered in Sharpie signatures from some of the greatest blues musicians of the past.
“We got to meet our heroes,” Ross, class of 1982, said smiling, thinking of the 15 years of his life he spent touring with Queen Bee and the Blue Hornet Band. The band opened up for blues legends, like B.B. King, Otis Rush and James Cotton.
Ross, 54, who grew up right on the border of Pennsylvania and West Virginia in Clarksville, Pa., always found himself surrounded by music as a child — his mother sang, while his father played guitar in his own band. Music, however, did not resonate with Ross until he was 19 years old when his roommate, Dutch, began exposing him to new artists.
Following Dutch’s lead, Ross attended multiple shows and with each new experience he took in the sights and sounds of a world anew. After every show, Ross would buy the artist’s record– he’d then go home, put the record on, grab his father’s guitar and teach himself the notes until he learned how to play.
He dedicated hours each day to the craft, eventually meeting Tonya Browne, who he formed Queen Bee with. After Ross graduated, he taught special needs children for five years while playing music on the side until Queen Bee and the Blue Hornet Band was offered a record deal from Sharkstooth.
“It was either teach or tour,” Ross said as his lips began to twitch into a smile. “Oh, man, I was young – I wanted to be on the road.”
Ross, along with his band mates, began traveling around Europe, Canada and the mid-Atlantic, performing the blues to a different venue each night. Piled in a van, he endured long hours on the road, traveling from one city to another, running on little to no sleep, but it was one of the most “enriching” experiences of his life.
Every day Ross immersed himself in a new environment, meeting new faces, performing 200 shows a year for 15 years of his life. He learned everything he knows about music from some household names in blues.
“A lot of the big guys – if they see a young person interested in their kind of music with a genuine interest and a genuine respect they will take the time,” Ross said. “And they all did and I got to absorb – soak up so much from them that I never could repay.”
The first time Ross opened up for B.B. King, he said he almost couldn’t contain his nerves. B.B. King watched him side stage and after the show, he came up to Ross, put his arm around him and said, “Hey, you play pretty good for a young fella.”
“All those guys called you young fella – well, only if they like you,” Ross said, bursting out into an uncontrollable laugh, slamming his fist on the table beneath him as he tried to contain himself.
B.B. King wasn’t the only legend Ross performed in front of – he found himself taking the same stage as Otis Rush, who Eric Clapton called his favorite guitar player.
Ross was set to open up for Otis Rush, who came to Penn State to perform at the annual Centre County arts festival. As Ross was setting up his guitar and amp, he felt a finger tap his shoulder. Ross turned around stunned as his eyes met his hero, Otis Rush.
“Oh Mr. Rush I’m such a fan of your music,” a young Ross nervously said.
“You play my shit, boy?”
“Uh, I try.”
“Play my shit and get it right,” Rush told him walking away.
With Rush’s advice, Ross took the stage – overwhelmed with nerves, shaking as his fingers stroked the guitar. Yet, midway through the performance, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rush sitting side stage, on his amp, clapping along.
At end of the day, Ross approached Rush, asking him if he’d like to watch Queen Bee and the Blue Hornet Band perform a night gig at the bar the Rathskeller.
“He took a plane ticket out of his back pocket and he had to leave at 7 so I shook his hand and got him to sign my guitar,” Ross said. “But I get to the Rathskeller around 10 o’clock and who’s sitting on the front porch with no money to pay the cover and nobody believes he’s Otis Rush,” Ross said in hysterics.
Ross informed the bouncer that this in fact was Otis Rush. When the two entered the bar, they got a few drinks and then took the stage.
“He jumps on stage and starts playing – he’s crushing it. I’m standing literally right next to Otis Rush,” Ross said, “and all his records that I listened to, all those licks are coming out of his amp in front of me.”
While performing next to Rush, Ross stood back, trying not to get in his way.
“I didn’t want to take any guitar solos because Christ this is Otis Rush and I’m trying to get behind him,” Ross said. “But he said ‘go ahead now’ and I actually rose to the occasion and I played OK.”
Ross started out as a “young fella,” but later grew the confidence he needed to really kill it on stage, like his heroes. He later went on to play on stage with B.B. King during King’s 75th birthday party.
Queen Bee bassist Rene Witzke, who shared the stage with Ross for many years, said Ross’ personality is “larger than life.”
“He’s the quietest guitar player in town, just ask him,” Witzke jokingly said, laughing at the thought of Ross ever being able to play in a timid manner.
While the band members shared many years on the road and even received a nomination for the initial ballot of the 36th annual Grammy Awards for Best Traditional Blues Album, Queen Bee disbanded in 1999.
Now, Ross, who used to perform to a different venue each night, finds himself back in State College, living with his wife and two children. Ross’ “larger than life” stage presence is still captivating audiences every Friday at Otto’s Pub and every Sunday at Zeno’s when he takes the stage with the local blues band Miss Melanie and the Valley Rats.
On evenings at Otto’s, Ross and his band can be seen trying new sounds and expanding their already extensive vocal and musical range.
“It’s one of those things that either works out or not,” said about a new set the group was performing one night at the Pub — but that mantra encompasses Ross’ life as well.
Taking the stage at Otto’s, Ross’ eyes focus on his guitar strings, making sure to hit each note – his head bobbing along to the gospel sound of lead singer Melanie’s voice.
Members of the audience stand up from their seats, swing dancing and singing along to the music. Even the bus boy can be seen swaying along to the music while balancing dishes in his hand.
In between sets, Ross takes the mic.
“Hey folks, make sure to give a nice tip, especially that good looking fella cleaning tables,” Ross said, bursting into a cackle.
The waiter looked up to Ross and gave him a smile.
“You never turn your back on your hometown because they’re the one who helped you get going,” Ross said. “You’ve always got to remember to try and give them something back – it’s all about loyalty.”
Aside from playing weekly gigs, Ross also produces records, performs children’s gigs, holds seminars on how to write children’s music and writes children’s books.
While Ross has performed hundreds of shows, he said no matter where he’s playing the feeling he gets on stage when he has a guitar in his hands will never get old.
“I play music for that 30 seconds of a night where everybody is in some spot where nobody knows how we got there, nobody knows how we’re going to get out of there,” Ross said. “It’s just this utopian feeling.”
Underground Music Scene 