Gary “Magic” Marker

Gary ‘Magic’ Marker (May 23, 1943 - December 8, 2015) was a bass guitarist and recording engineer best known for his involvement in various psychedelic rock bands of the 1960s. A bass player with jazz leanings, who had studied at Berklee College of Music, Marker was a member of the between 1964 and 1966, along with , , and . During this time he became friendly with Don Vliet (aka ). He helped with Vliet’s musical education and played with Captain Beefheart And His Magic Band on a number of occasions .He has played in numerous bands (and with many performers) over the years, been a regular session musician as well working as an engineer/producer. He retired from the music business but maintained an active interest (especially in Ry Cooder & Beefheart-related matters) until his death on December 8th, 2015 from a stroke.