Mark Holden
Encyclopedia
Mark Holden is an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

n singer, television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

 personality and barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...

. He was one of a panel of three judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...

s on the television series Australian Idol
Australian Idol
Australian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on July 2003 and ended its run in November 2009. As part of the Idol franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive...

.

Acting career

Holden was a singer and film actor. He was an original cast member of soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...

 The Young Doctors
The Young Doctors
The Young Doctors is an Australian early evening soap opera. The series was set in the fictional Albert Memorial hospital and primarily concerned with romances between younger members of the hospital staff, screened on the Nine Network from Monday, 8 November 1976 until Wednesday, 30 March...

when it began in late 1976. Film roles included Blue Fire Lady and Newsfront
Newsfront
Newsfront is a 1978 Australian drama film starring Bill Hunter, Wendy Hughes, and Bryan Brown, directed by Phillip Noyce. The screenplay is written by David Elfick, Bob Ellis, Philippe Mora, and Phillip Noyce. The original music score is composed by William Motzing...

. Holden was the first pop star in the world to originate the lead role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical with lyrics by Tim Rice. The story is based on the "coat of many colors" story of Joseph from the Hebrew Bible's Book of Genesis. This was the first Lloyd Webber and Rice musical to be performed publicly...

, in the first Australian production of the Webber and Rice musical.

He won three Logies and performed for the Prince of Wales at the Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...

. He hosted the infamous 'Silver Jubilee Countdown', amongst many other Countdown appearances and hostings. In 2007 he appeared in cameo acting roles on Kath & Kim
Kath & Kim
Kath & Kim is a Logie Award-winning character-driven Australian television situation comedy series. The series was created by, and is written by Jane Turner and Gina Riley who play the title characters: a suburban mother and daughter with a dysfunctional relationship...

, NBC's The Starter Wife with Debra Messing
Debra Messing
Debra Lynn Messing is an American actress, voice artist, and comedienne. She is perhaps best known for her role as Grace Adler in the NBC sitcom Will & Grace and as Molly Kagan in the mini-series The Starter Wife....

, and as an Immigration Detention Officer on SBS's Fat Pizza.

In late 2010, he guest starred as Doctor Wallace in Season 5 of Sea Patrol
Sea Patrol (TV series)
Sea Patrol is an Australian television drama, set on board HMAS Hammersley, a fictional patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy . The series focuses on the ship and the lives of its crew members....

, due to air in July 2011 on Channel 9.

Music career

Mark was a pop singer in the 1970s, having hits with songs such as Never Gonna Fall in Love Again
Never Gonna Fall in Love Again
"Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American pop rock artist Eric Carmen. It was released as the second single from Carmen's self-titled debut solo album, the song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in June 1976, remaining in the Top 40...

and making several appearances on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's popular television series Countdown.

Relocating to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

 in 1980 and as a songwriter, he had two Top Ten hits with the Temptations
The Temptations
The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...

 on Motown
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...

 – 'Lady Soul' which is included on the 'Motown Greatest Hits 1972-92 Hitsville USA' CD Compilation and 'Look What You Started' which features on the definitive Tempations compilation 'The Emperors Of Soul' .

There were also hits with Tracie Spencer
Tracie Spencer
Tracie Monique Spencer is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, actress, and model.-Biography:She began singing by the age of three and modeling in pageant competitions at age five. Tracie performed, produced and directed her first music videos before she was ten years of age...

, Joey Lawrence
Joey Lawrence
Joseph "Joey" Lawrence is an American actor, R&B-singer, and TV-host. He is known for his roles in the TV-series Gimme a Break!, Blossom, and Melissa & Joey.- Early life :...

, Will Downing
Will Downing
Will Downing , is an American singer-songwriter and producer. Downing is known in the contemporary jazz and R&B music genres for his rich baritone vocals, and his interpretations of R&B and pop classics that stretch back to the early 1980s...

, a #1 dance hit with Kathy Sledge
Kathy Sledge
Kathy Sledge , the youngest of five sisters, Carol,Debra,Joni and Kim. She is an American singer who has had several hits on the International Pop and Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, including "Take Me Back To Love Again," which hit #1 in 1992. She is the granddaughter of former opera singer...

, and over 50 cover recordings of his songs from artists as varied as Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Jo Carlisle is an American singer who gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, one of the most successful all-female bands and the first such group whose members wrote their own songs and played their own instruments...

, Steve Jones
Steve Jones (musician)
Stephen Philip "Steve" Jones is an English rock guitarist, singer and actor, best known as guitarist and founding member of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols.-Childhood:...

 of the Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...

, The Manhattans
The Manhattans
The Manhattans are an American popular R&B vocal group, with a string of hit records spanning four decades. Their best known million-selling songs being "Kiss and Say Goodbye" and 'Shining Star' in 1980...

, Donny Osmond
Donny Osmond
Donald Clark "Donny" Osmond is an American singer, musician, actor, dancer, radio personality, and former teen idol. Osmond has also been a talk and game show host, record producer and author. In the mid 1960s, he and four of his elder brothers gained fame as the Osmond Brothers on the long...

, Jose Feliciano
José Feliciano
José Feliciano is a Puerto Rican singer, virtuoso guitarist and composer known for many international hits including the 1970 holiday single "Feliz Navidad".-Childhood:...

, Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...

, David Hasselhoff
David Hasselhoff
David Michael Hasselhoff is an American actor, singer, producer and businessman. He is best known for his lead roles as Michael Knight in the popular 1980s US series Knight Rider and as L.A. County Lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in the series Baywatch...

 and Branford Marsalis
Branford Marsalis
Branford Marsalis is an American saxophonist, composer and bandleader. While primarily known for his work in jazz as the leader of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, he also performs frequently as a soloist with classical ensembles and has led the group Buckshot LeFonque.-Biography:Marsalis was born...

.

He also developed and produced artists including Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein
Calvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc. in 1968. In addition to clothing, Klein has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry....

 model and film star Milla Jovovich
Milla Jovovich
Milla Jovovich December 17, 1975)is an American model, actress, musician, and fashion designer. Over her career, she has appeared in a number of science fiction and action-themed films, for which music channel VH1 has referred to her as the "reigning queen of kick-butt".Milla Jovovich began...

 ('Chaplin', 'Blue Lagoon 2', 'Dazed and Confused', 'The 5th Element'), for EMI Records
EMI Records
EMI Records is the flagship record label founded by the EMI company in 1972 and launched in January 1973 as the successor to its Columbia label. The EMI label was launched worldwide...

 Group, New York. This led to her debut album; a US Top Ten Post Modern hit, it won critical raves including a 3 star review in Rolling Stone magazine.

For three years Mark worked with David Hasselhoff
David Hasselhoff
David Michael Hasselhoff is an American actor, singer, producer and businessman. He is best known for his lead roles as Michael Knight in the popular 1980s US series Knight Rider and as L.A. County Lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in the series Baywatch...

, producing and coordinating his albums, live promotion and musical projects for television, particularly in Europe where David enjoyed multi-platinum successes including the Top Ten hit in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, ‘Wir Zwei Allein Heut Nacht’ (‘Together alone tonight’) which Mark wrote with David Hasselhoff.

Jeremy Jackson
Jeremy Jackson
Jeremy Dunn Jackson is an American actor/singer. He is widely known for his role as Hobie Buchannon on the television show Baywatch.-Career:...

, the actor who played David Hasselhoff's son on Baywatch
Baywatch
Baywatch is an American action drama series about the Los Angeles County Lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, starring David Hasselhoff. The show ran in its original title and format from 1989 to 1999, sans the 1990-1991 season, of which it was not in production...

, was signed to Mark Holden's production company and had two hits in Europe including 'You Can Run' which was Top 5 in Holland.

In 1999, Mark performed his show "100 Years of Australian Music" at the School of Arts Café in Queanbeyan.

Marjac Productions with Transistor Music Australia and Universal Music International launched Vanessa Amorosi
Vanessa Amorosi
Vanessa Amorosi is an Australian singer-songwriter and recording artist. Her combined album and single sales have reached over 2 million worldwide.-Early life:...

 onto the Australian and international stage with ARIA’s #4 album of the year 2000 – 'The Power' – and four hit singles in Australia. "Absolutely Everybody" has been #7 in the UK, #2 in Ireland, Top Five Germany (Gold), Austria (Gold) and Switzerland; and Top Ten in many other European and Asian countries. Vanessa's album 'The Power' was gold in GSA with 4 hit singles.

Mark’s family group, The Holdens, released their first CD, "A Tribute to Tex Morton
Tex Morton
Tex Morton was a pioneer of Australian country music.-Early life:At age 14 he left home to launch himself into show business...

". This features songs made famous by the legendary country singer and showman. Tex was very much in the tradition of his forebears The Holden Brothers Circus who traveled with Tex and is Mark's way of paying homage to them and the way they entertained Australians over many decades from the late 19th century on.

In 2000 MarJac Productions signed with Sony Australia to consult for the Delta Goodrem
Delta Goodrem
Delta Lea Goodrem is an Australian singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress. Signed to Sony at the age of 15, Goodrem rose to prominence in 2002, starring in the Australian soap opera Neighbours as Nina Tucker. Goodrem has achieved eight number-one singles and three number-one albums in her home...

 project which reached #1 in Australia and Top 5 UK. Meanwhile , his songs continue to be recorded by Vanessa Amorosi, Nikki Webster (Top 20 Gold single 'Best Days'), Delta Goodrem and Sophie Monk
Sophie Monk
Sophie Charlene Akland Monk is a London-born Australian pop singer, actress and model. Monk was a member of female pop group Bardot and released a solo album Calendar Girl...

.

In 2004 Mark established Dream Dealers, his own Management, Music Publishing and Record Company. Dream Dealers immediately achieved success with first signing, Joel Turner and the Modern Day Poets. The first single “These Kids” reached #1 on the Aria charts, staying in the top ten for over three months in which time it achieved double platinum status. Their self-titled album was released in late 2004 and was certified platinum. A number of other successful singles were also released from the album.

Australian Idol

In 2003, Holden was a judge on the Australian Idol
Australian Idol
Australian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on July 2003 and ended its run in November 2009. As part of the Idol franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive...

 television show. He executive-produced the 'Final 12' cast CD for Australian Idol which went double platinum and included the #1 song 'Rise Up' which he co-wrote with Vanessa Amorosi
Vanessa Amorosi
Vanessa Amorosi is an Australian singer-songwriter and recording artist. Her combined album and single sales have reached over 2 million worldwide.-Early life:...

. His phrase "Touchdown" became the highest form of accolade for the contestants with Cosima De Vito
Cosima De Vito
Cosima De Vito , also known simply as Cosima, is an Australian singer-songwriter. She rose to fame as a contestant of the original Australian Idol series in 2003...

 receiving the first ever touchdown for her rendition of Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel is a rock band that originated in Adelaide, Australia. It is one of the most acclaimed Australian rock bands of all time, with a string of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s and huge sales that continue to this day, although its success and acclaim was almost completely restricted to...

's When the War Is Over
When the War Is Over
"When the War Is Over" is a power ballad originally performed by Australian band Cold Chisel on their 1982 album Circus Animals. The song was written by drummer Steve Prestwich and issued as the third single from the album, peaking at #25 on the national singles chart.-Cold Chisel version:Like many...

. When De Vito scored the first touchdown Ian Dickson said that he could not help but think that De Vito had been sent by another television network as a spy because she was everything the competition was about.

Holden was awarded "Wanker of the Year" by men's magazine Ralph (magazine) in 2003, and in response, wanted a trophy
Trophy
A trophy is a reward for a specific achievement, and serves as recognition or evidence of merit. Trophies are most often awarded for sporting events, from youth sports to professional level athletics...

 to show off his new title. He started up a petition
Petition
A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer....

 on his own website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...

 to have it awarded to him. He has mentioned it a few times on Idol, and Ralph has considered naming the award after him. In this years awards however, he came third, beaten by fellow Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...

 celebrities Rove McManus
Rove McManus
John Henry Michael "Rove" McManus is an Australian comedian, television presenter, producer and media personality. He was the host of the self-titled variety show Rove, and is the owner of the production company Roving Enterprises...

 and Australian Idol presenter Andrew G
Andrew G
Andrew Günsberg , commonly known as Andrew G, is a British-born Australian television and radio presenter who is best known as the host of the reality series Australian Idol. He was also the compere of Network Ten's game show The Con Test, and for three years co-hosted the Sydney New Year's Eve...

. The magazine claimed that his attempt to claim a trophy for his honour was enough for them not to give him the award.

X Factor

He also appeared as a judge on The X Factor in 2005. (along with John Reid
John Reid (music)
John Reid is a Scottish manager and music industry figure, currently living and working in Australia.Between 1975 and 1978, Reid was the manager of British rock group Queen and Kevin Ayers...

 and Kate Ceberano
Kate Ceberano
Kate Ceberano is an Australian singer. She achieved success in the soul, jazz and pop genres as well as in her brief forays into musicals with Jesus Christ Superstar and film...

). The R&B group he had been mentoring during the show, Random
Random (band)
Random is a 5-member Australian R&B group mate who, in 2005, won the first Australian series of the X Factor.-Members:The group consists of:* Xylocaine "XY" Latu, from Logan Central....

, went on to win.

Theatre

In early 2008, Holden played the role of Johnny O'Keefe
Johnny O'Keefe
John Michael O'Keefe, known as Johnny O'Keefe was an Australian rock and roll singer whose career began in the 1950s. Some of his hits include "Wild One" , "Shout!" and "She's My Baby"...

's manager Lee Gordon
Lee Gordon
For the rock and roll promoter see Lee Gordon Lee "Stubby" Gordon was a jazz musician and the Cleveland bandsman who conducted the Rhythm Masters orchestra and wrote the music for songs such as "Tell Me Dreamy Eyes" , "Worryin' Blues" , and "Rippin' It Off." He was the first to broadcast...

 in Shout!.

Radio

Holden's radio career includes co-hosting The Drive Home with Cal Wilson
Cal Wilson
Cal Wilson is a New Zealand stand-up comedian and radio and television personality. She currently lives in Melbourne, Australia, and is well known in Australia through her appearances on television and radio.-Biography:...

 while regular host Akmal Saleh
Akmal Saleh
Akmal Saleh is an Australian comedian and actor. He was born in Egypt and arrived in Sydney, Australia with his family in 1975 at the age of 11. He has been performing stand-up comedy since the early 1990s and his live shows have toured comedy festivals both within Australia and internationally...

 was sick. He also hosted the short lived show in 2007, The Dicko, Holden and Chrissie Show on Nova FM.

He has also appeared regularly as co-host with Lindy Burns
Lindy Burns
Lindy Burns is the Drive presenter at 774 ABC Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Lindy was born in Wollongong and raised in Newcastle, New South Wales...

 on 774 ABC Melbourne
774 ABC Melbourne
774 ABC Melbourne is an ABC Local Radio station in Melbourne, Australia. Originally known by its callsign 3LO, it began transmission on 13 October 1924 – Melbourne's second radio station after 3AR.-History:...

 and has appeared on Melbourne radio 3AW
3AW
3AW is a talkback radio station in Melbourne, Australia on 693 kHz AM. It began transmission on 22 February 1932 as Melbourne's fifth commercial radio station.-History:...

 as a fill in presenter. From 2010-2011 he was a fill-in presenter of the weekday afternoon show on South Australia's 891 ABC Adelaide
891 ABC Adelaide
891 ABC Adelaide is the ABC Local Radio station for Adelaide. It is broadcast at 891 kHz on the AM band.-History:...

, where his focus has been on musical discussion. In early 2011 he has been fill in presenter of ABC Local Radio
ABC Local Radio
ABC Local Radio is a network of publicly owned radio stations in Australia, operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.ABC Local Radio stations broadcast across the continent using terrestrial transmitters and satellites...

 nationally. Mark is one of the regular fill-ins for Richard Stubbs
Richard Stubbs
Richard Stubbs is an Australian comedian who was educated at Wesley College, Melbourne.Stubbs started his career in radio in the early 1980s on 3XY as part of the XYZoo team. He appeared on Eon/MMM Fm with Tim Smith, Bridgette Duclos and Brad Mckenzie...

 on 774 ABC Melbourne
774 ABC Melbourne
774 ABC Melbourne is an ABC Local Radio station in Melbourne, Australia. Originally known by its callsign 3LO, it began transmission on 13 October 1924 – Melbourne's second radio station after 3AR.-History:...

.

Personal life

He attended Westminster School
Westminster School, Adelaide
Westminster School is an independent, Uniting Church, Early Learning to Year 12, coeducational, day and boarding school located at Marion, South Australia, 12 km south of Adelaide. Founded as a Methodist day and boarding school for boys, the school was opened by the Prime Minister Robert...

 in Adelaide, South Australia. He has a son named Cane and a daughter named Katie.

Holden finished a law degree in 1999 and read with Barrister William Lye at the Victorian Bar. In November 2009 he signed the Victorian Bar roll and is now practising as a full time barrister.

He has suffered six bone fracture
Bone fracture
A bone fracture is a medical condition in which there is a break in the continuity of the bone...

s as a direct result of Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a disease of bones that leads to an increased risk of fracture. In osteoporosis the bone mineral density is reduced, bone microarchitecture is deteriorating, and the amount and variety of proteins in bone is altered...

, and featured on an awareness ad
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...

 on Channel 7
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...

.

External links

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