Photo: Mark Gormley | Mark Donan Gormley (May 7, 1957 – May 24, 2024) was an American singer-songwriter from Pensacola, Florida who achieved internet fame for his music videos on YouTube. As of October 2021, his music videos have been viewed more than 7.9 million times.
Gormley learned to play the guitar as a teenager and later wrote and recorded a number of original compositions in the 1970s and 80s. His musical influences included Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, Rush, James Taylor, Jimi Hendrix, and Boston. During his time enlisted in the Marines, Gormley was stationed in Scotland where he recorded a demo for some of his songs, but he was unable to gain a recording contract on his return to the USA.
The Uncharted Zone
Having decided to give up pursuing a career as a musician, Gormley didn’t release his music to the public until his first music video was filmed in 2006. Gormley was given a platform when his music videos appeared on The Uncharted Zone, a weekly public-access television music show that plays original and cover videos by local artists. The Uncharted Zone is shown on the Blab Television cable station and is based in the Gulf Coast of Florida. Gormley has since recorded a number of music videos for the show.
The low-budget music videos are produced by Phil Thomas Katt, a local musician and former radio DJ. The videos are characterized by their frequent use of green screen effects, local scenery and, quite often, comedic or dramatic story lines. Katt runs The Uncharted Zone with his co-host and longtime friend Tommy Robinetti. The two can be found introducing each video with quirky commentary and anecdotes about each featured artist.
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In October 2010, Gormley received the first ever The Uncharted Zone ‘Youzie Award’. The award signified Gormley becoming the first artist in The Uncharted Zone’s history to have a music video surpass one million views on YouTube.
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Gormley had been asked to perform by concert bookers and TV shows including the late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live!, but he decided to decline the offers. Gormley avoided the spotlight and was notoriously reclusive. In an interview conducted by The Uncharted Zone’s Michele Carnley, Gormley claimed “I’m just little old me from Pensacola.” When asked about his sudden internet fame, Gormley replied “It’s a bit overwhelming. You know, when I did this I just did it for fun. Something to do, something therapeutic.”
Music videos
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Gormley’s breakthrough music video is for “Without You”, released in 2008. “Without You” is a love song about heartbreak and loneliness that music website The Daily Swarm described as a “soft metal masterpiece”. Alternative culture magazine Coilhouse called the track “an honest, well-crafted song” and noted Gormley’s “soulful voice”. Pensacola News Journal described the music video as “a frenetic mix of Gormley, scenic backdrops and a lovely young lady”. Media journal BuzzFeed considered “Without You” to be a contender for ‘Video of the Year’ and listed it among the ‘Most Memorable Amateur Music Videos of the 2000s’. On January 14, 2009, “Without You” was named a viral video by music magazine Blender and Comedy Central. On January 16, 2009, “Without You” was the daily featured music video on the website Today’s BIG Thing. Later that same year, it was featured on G4’s Web Soup where Gormley would shortly be parodied by the show’s guest “Weird Al” Yankovic. The music video achieved cult status through word-of-mouth and blog posts. When asked about the success of “Without You”, Phil Thomas Katt stated: “It spread like wildfire. I started hearing from folks all over the country. Mark never cared about being a celebrity, but the interest was there.” In January 2011, “Without You” was featured on truTV’s The Smoking Gun Presents: World’s Dumbest Performers #6. Commentators on the music video included actor Daniel Baldwin, comedian Loni Love, and writers Billy Kimball and Michael Loftus. Loni Love criticized Gormley’s choice of clothing, whereas Michael Loftus commented “you don’t expect him to have a golden throat like that”. In September 2012 and January 2013, “Without You” was featured on the Channel 4 television program Rude Tube, including an interview with Phil Thomas Katt. As of February 2022, “Without You” has received over four million views on YouTube.
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He died in Pensacola on May 24, 2024, at the age of 67.
Read lots more on Mr. Gormley here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Gormley
Photo: Mark Gormley | From a fan’s Facebook page
Mark Gormley of YouTube Music Video Fame Dies
