Mark Houser

Mark Houser is a 1976 graduate of Livingston Academy where he was captain of the football team, played baseball and won the History Award at graduation. He earned a B.S, Degree from Tennessee Tech University in 1980.

Houser excelled in numerous careers, although he is probably best known for his music career, culminating with the 2025 Grammy nominated project The Gospel According to Mark, by Mark D. Conklin, in which Houser wrote 5 of the 12 songs. The project was nominated for Best Roots Gospel Album.

As a bluegrass artist and lead singer of the band Mark Houser & Bluegrass Drive, he has released 3 studio albums. The first Uneven Road cracked Billboard Magazine’s Top Ten Bluegrass Album chart landing at #9 on September 29, 2012. The second album Americanaville, spurred the musical venue of the same name in Livingston, earning a Music Pathways marker from the Tennessee Department of Tourism. Houser’s first two albums produced 3 chart singles including #13 River of Regret, #4 Uneven Road and #1 Lead Me Home, Lead Me Home featured Grammy winner Rhonda Vincent on harmonies.

His third studio album, Gospel Train, featured his second #1 song as an artist when the title track reached the top of the Bluegrass Today Gospel Chart on February 14, 2025. The song featured guest appearances by Darin and Brooke Aldridge. The album reached #2 on Airplay Direct downloads in January 2025.

Houser is also an accomplished songwriter with over 150 songs recorded in various genres, including songs recorded by Rodney Atkins, Jack Greene, T. Graham Brown, Linda Davis, Lang Scott, Rhonda Vincent, and John Berry in country music, and Little River Band, Russell Hitchcock of Air Supply and Anthony Krizan of the Spin Doctors, in pop music and Ernie Hasse and Signature Sound in southern gospel. In addition, Houser has penned many bluegrass cuts including one of the most played songs of 2007, the ‘#1 Seven Miles from Wichita’ by Carrie Hassler and Hard Rain. He also penned Hard Rain for which Hassler named her band. In addition, he co-wrote a song on The Roys’ Inspirational Country Music Awards nominated album New Day Dawning, titled Winding Roads which charted at #19 in Bluegrass Today.

Houser's song Red, White and Blue Christmas was performed on numerous occasions on the Grand Ole Opry by Opry legend, Jack Greene, beginning on December 20, 2003. Houser has played at various venues including being the first entertainer to play the Nashville Music Center as the guest of then Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam during the Tennessee Statesman's Dinner. Houser also played the Governor's re-election kickoff at the Loveless Cafe. He has performed numerous times at Nashville's famed Bluebird Café.

Houser is a member of the Class of 2021 of The Recording Academy and a voting member for the Grammy Awards. He is also a member of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) and Gospel Music Association (The Dove Awards), and a former voting member of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) and Country Music Association (The CMAs).

Houser is also a published author, having written two books. The first release was the first installment of The Corbin Keene Chronicles, titled Some Other Somewhere. He then released a book of quotes, poems and lyrics titled Seeds. He also worked as a journalist with the Overton County News for almost 20 years, first under his name then under his pseudonym Howard Chandler.

He also appeared in the cast of the 1989 motion picture No Justice, which starred Cameron Mitchell. He played the part of Cousin York. Houser’s song The Big Picture was the movie’s closing theme.

In a second career, Houser worked for the Tennessee Department of Health for 37 years, spending over 20 years as Upper Cumberland Regional Manager. He served three terms as President of the Tennessee Environmental Health Association, served on the Advisory Committee for Environmental Health at East Tennessee State University from 2011-2025, and served on the National Environmental Heath Accreditation Council for two terms 2016-2022. The council consists of 21 people nationally elected, who decide curriculum, approve textbooks, and approve accreditation for colleges and universities. He was the founder of the Tennessee Environmental Hall of Fame in 2009 and served as the Executive Director from 2009-2024. In 2014 Houser was elected to the Tennessee Environmental Hall of Fame, which is housed at East Tennessee State University.

Houser’s third career involves coaching. He coached football at 4 Upper Cumberland high schools, including 9 years at his alma mater Livingston Academy. He has coached over 300 games in his career. He also was the founder and first head coach of the Youth Football program, the Overton County Outlaws, coaching the team from its inception in 1990 through 1992 before moving over to Livingston Academy. The 1991 team won both the junior and senior division championships, going undefeated at both levels.

He also served as an assistant baseball coach for a time at Livingston Academy under Pat Swallows. He spent 22 seasons coaching summer league baseball as well.

Houser’s faith has been important to him throughout his life and he has served as a minister at Dudney’s Hill and Morrison Creek churches of Christ, both located in Jackson County, Tennessee.