Biography
John & Mary are an American folk and folk rock duo, formed in 1989 in Buffalo, New York, that has been active consistently since that time. Their story is deeply intertwined with the alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs, as both members have been integral to that band’s history before, during, and after Natalie Merchant’s tenure.
John & Mary signed with Rykodisc in 1990 and released their first album, Victory Gardens, in 1991, followed by The Weedkiller’s Daughter in 1993. After both left 10,000 Maniacs following the death of guitarist Rob Buck in 2000, the duo resumed work on new material, releasing The Pinwheel Galaxy in 2002. They continued performing locally around Buffalo regularly from 2002 to 2006, and with the Valkyries thereafter. Their most recent album, Peace Bridge, was released in 2007. Both Lombardo and Ramsey have continued to appear regularly with 10,000 Maniacs from 2008 to 2017, as well as doing regular shows as John & Mary with the Valkyries.
Read full biography ↓
John & Mary have gone through a variety of backing musicians throughout the history of the duo. Here is a partial list of the past and present members and collaborators:
John Lombardo – John, the 10,000 Maniacs' rhythm guitar player and occasional odd vocalist, co-wrote most of the early Maniacs songs, but left the band in 1986, right before the band "made it big." He returned in 1994 with his duo partner Mary Ramsey, and picked up right where he left off by writing and shaping the band's music. He left the band again in 2002 after the first rehearsal before the "hits" tour.
Mary Ramsey – Mary opened up shows with John Lombardo as John & Mary in 1990 and would play viola and sing backing vocals with 10,000 Maniacs on a few songs in 1990-1991. She was a touring musician with the band in 1992-1993, playing viola and singing backing vocals. When Natalie Merchant left the band in 1993, Mary replaced her on lead vocals and added the viola as a main instrument of the band, starting with live shows in 1994 and continuing on until 2001. Oskar Saville replaced her as lead singer in 2002, but Mary agreed to become a touring musician with the band in 2006, singing backing vocals and playing viola on select songs. Mary agreed to be the lead singer for the band again for their final show of 2007 after Oskar Saville left the band.
The Valkyries – The backing band that John & Mary began working with in late 2006, made up of some of the best local Buffalo musicians. The initial lineup included Patrick Kane on lead guitar, Rob Lynch on drums, Joe Rozler on keyboards, Nelson Starr on keyboards, and Kent Weber on bass guitar. This formation appeared on their 2007 album Peace Bridge.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.