Born and raised in East Texas, Mark Cooke grew up singing and writing songs of all types, though country music is what he always found comfort in. Through the grace of God, Mark Cooke has continued to pursue his childhood dream to become a country singer. After graduating high school in 1993, Mark decided to put his dream of a music career on hold and he joined the U.S. Navy. His dedication to the... Navy made him a much stronger person mentally and spiritually and throughout all of the changes happening in his life, Mark felt that it was time to finally be true to himself and focus on his music. While sailing around the world, Mark worked diligently to enhance his vocal and writing skills. In 1997, Mark completed his duty with the U.S. Navy and officially began working on his music career. Mark would soon meet his future brother-in-law Joe Rodriquez and start the Cooke County Line band. In little time, Mark Cooke and the 7-piece Cooke County Line Band began playing all over Central Texas and the Southern states gaining notoriety and success. During this period, Mark had the opportunity to open for or play with many veteran acts including John Rich, George Jones, Miranda Lambert, Tracy Lawrence, Chris Cagle, Little Jimmy Dickens, Whispering Bill Anderson, David Lee Murphy, David Allan Coe, Robert Earl Keen, Ray Wiley Hubbard, Charlie Robison, Ty Herndon, Linda Davis and more. Having always wanted to make a living as a country singer, Mark had no idea that his dream would soon lead him to Nashville, TN, the home of country music. Last summer, Mark signed to CVR (management and label) run by Music Row veteran Producers J. Gary Smith and John Smith. Together they are currently finishing his CVR self-titled, debut album to come out later this year. When asked, J Gary Smith’s comments on Mark were, “It is great to find an artist with such a natural country voice as Mark has. The likability factor on this guy is through the roof, and we feel blessed to be the guys that get to start his career.” Mark’s debut single, “Can’t Cheat in a Small Town,” written by Brad Wolf, Abby Boykin and Don Goodman was released in the summer of 2010 to rave reviews. The single made it all the way to number 42 on the Music Row chart and number 56 on Billboard’s Indicator chart. Mark recently released his second single entitled “I Love It” from his debut album. Written by veteran songwriters Philip Douglas, Ron Harbin and Jimmy Yeary, “I Love It” is a song sure to continue to prove Mark’s worth in country music. With his dream coming true, Mark's family and friends continue to support him in every way possible. Through all the good times and bad, he still is the same boy from East Texas who had a dream. And, with the grace of God, Mark continues to pursue the dream he has such passion for. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.