Penguin Books Australia

Mark Seymour was born in Benalla, Victoria in 1956. His parents were both schoolteachers who travelled a lot, so he spent most of his childhood living in a string of country towns. His mother Paula taught him to sing in the family choir, which comprised everyone except his Dad, who unfortunately failed the audition, though his tenor sometimes soared. Together they competed in talent quests and meetings of various Country Women's Associations, and Mark began to nurture dreams of a singing career. Eventually the family arrived in Melbourne and, some time after that, Mark stumbled into the Tiger Lounge in Richmond on a Tuesday night in 1978 - and subsequently became a devotee of rock'n'roll.

He was the frontman of a band called Hunters and Collectors for eighteen years. Since then, Mark has continued to perform and record. He lives somewhere on the Victorian coast with his wife Jo and their two daughters Eva and Hannah.