Mark Newman was born in the Bronx. His first musical inspiration was hearing his father play the two songs he knew on piano, "Heart and Soul" and what he calls "that famous tune that people play on the black keys...." He grew up in New York, and after moving to Los Angeles Newman studied with session guitarist Howard Roberts and Ted Greene, who wrote Chord Chemistry and Modern Chord Progressions. His earliest musical influences were the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Allman Brothers, Ry Cooder, Little Feat, Jimmy Nolen (the guitarist for James Brown), and Steve Cropper, among others. One of his earliest experiences working in a band came after he answered an ad in a local paper. The musical group was looking for a guitar player and Newman fit the bill -- and he remains a friend to the musicians in that group to this day. His first gig was an outdoor performance with that ensemble at a high school. The regular band canceled at the last minute and his new act filled in, though Newman felt the gig was less than it could be.