Mark Gersmehl

1
May 21, 2002

Mark Gersmehl is listed in the credits for the following albums:

Year Artist Album Role
1979 The Renaissance Together Trombone
1982 Truth Keeper Of My Heart Prophet 10
1982 White Heart White Heart Songwriter, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Vocals
1983 Sandi Patty More than Wonderful Electric Piano, Synthesizer, Organ, Trombone
1983 Gaither Vocal Band Passin' The Faith Along Songwriter, Organ
1984 The Hemphills Together Synthesizers
1984 Candy Christmas Heart of Fire Songwriter
1984 Pam Mark Hall Supply and Demand Songwriter
1984 Sandi Patty Songs from the Heart Songwriter
1984 White Heart Vital Signs Songwriter, Piano, Synthesizers, Vocals
1984 Kathy Troccoli Heart and Soul Songwriter
1984 Chris Christian Let the Music Start Prophet 10
1984 Scott Wesley Brown Kingdom of Love Songwriter
1984 Harry Browning Push Back the Darkness Songwriter
1984 Laury Boone Browning Push Back the Darkness Songwriter
1984 Farrell & Farrell Choices Songwriter
1985 Angie Lewis Heart Dance Songwriter, Arrangements
1985 Twenty Twenty Twenty Twenty Keyboards
1985 Imperials Let the Wind Blow Songwriter
1985 White Heart Hotline Producer, Songwriter, Keyboards, Vocals
1986 Candy Christmas Arms of Love Songwriter
1986 Sandi Patty Morning Like This Songwriter
1986 Geoff Moore Over the Edge Songwriter, Keyboards
1986 White Heart Live at Six Flags Songwriter, Keyboards, Vocals
1986 White Heart Don't Wait for the Movie Songwriter, Keyboards, Trombone, Vocals
1986 Farrell & Farrell Manifesto Background Vocals
1987 Sandi Patty The Gift Goes On Synthesizers
1987 Geoff Moore The Distance Songwriter
1987 White Heart Greatest Hits Producer, Songwriter, Keyboards, Vocals
1987 White Heart Emergency Broadcast Songwriter, Keyboards, Vocals
1987 First Call Undivided Songwriter
1989 Sandi Patty Friendship Company Songwriter
1989 White Heart Collector's Disc (Whiteheart / Vital Signs) Songwriter, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Vocals
1989 White Heart Freedom Songwriter, Keyboards, Vocals
1990 White Heart Souvenirs Songwriter, Keyboards, Vocals
1990 White Heart Power House Producer, Songwriter, Keyboards, Vocals
1991 Rachel Rachel Way To My Heart Keyboards, Synthesizers
1992 White Heart Tales of Wonder Producer, Songwriter, Keyboards, Recorder, Handbell Choir, Vocals
1993 White Heart Quiet Storm: The Ballads Producer, Songwriter, Keyboards, Vocals
1993 White Heart Highlands Producer, Songwriter, Keyboards, Percussion, Recorder, Vocals
1994 White Heart Nothing but the Best Radio Classics Producer, Songwriter, Keyboards, Vocals
1994 White Heart Nothing but the Best Rock Classics Producer, Songwriter, Keyboards, Recorder, Handbell Choir, Percussion Programming, Vocals
1994 White Heart Vital Signs Gold Series Songwriter, Piano, Synthesizers, Vocals
1995 Geoff Moore Familiar Stranger: The Early Works of Geoff Moore Songwriter, Keyboards
1995 White Heart Attack! Producer, Songwriter, Keyboards, Percussion, Recorder, Vocals
1995 White Heart Inside Producer, Engineer, Songwriter, Keyboards, Synthesizers, Vocals
1996 Swirling Eddies Sacred Cows Songwriter
1996 White Heart Early Years Producer, Songwriter, Keyboards, Vocals
1997 White Heart Redemption Producer, Songwriter, Keyboards, Loops, Vocals
2000 White Heart Hits from the Heart Producer, Songwriter, Keyboards, Vocals
2000 White Heart Millennium Archives Songwriter, Keyboards, Vocals
2002 Mark Gersmehl Awakening Performer
2007 Phil Keaggy Acoustic Cafe Loops, Keyboards

Mark Gersmehl

Genre: 

Mark Gersmehl has been a member of:

Born: 
Jul 29, 1954
Age: 
69

Mark “Gersh” Gersmehl  is a Christian musician who is best known as one of the founding members of the Christian rock group White Heart. He and guitarist Billy Smiley were the only two original members of the band to stay with White Heart from its conception in 1982 through its disbandment in 1998. Gersmehl played keyboards in the band, as well as occasionally singing lead vocals. He also contributed his songwriting skills, penning 15 of White Heart’s 16 No. 1 hits. When the group disbanded in 1998, he began a solo career, releasing his first solo album in 2002.

Early life
Gersmehl was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1954, and spend his childhood in the area. His first musical memories are classical, at home and at the local Lutheran church. His first instrument was the piano, although he later studied trombone, baritone, flute, and recorder. At the age of 15 he performed his first “professional” gig at a wedding reception with the New World Quintet. Later, he would play trombone with the O’Jays, the legendary Philadelphia Sound group, as well as with several professional orchestras in Indiana.

Gaither Vocal Band
While attending Ball State University, Gersmehl began playing horns at the studios of Bill and Gloria Gaither. Other studio musicians suggested that he go on the road with the Gaither Vocal Band, but at first Gersmehl was hesitant. The third time his studio friends insisted, Gersmehl agreed to go on the road. He would play keyboards and horn on tour with the Gaithers for four years.

White Heart
By 1981, Billy Smiley and Gersmehl, both of whom were playing with the New Gaither Vocal Band at the time, found that they were tired of playing backups for other artists, and felt that they wanted to go out on their own and let the Lord work through them. They decided to start their own contemporary Christian music group singing some of their co-written compositions. Four musicians who were in the Gaither Trio, the Gaither Vocal Band, or both—Dann and David Huff, Steve Green, and Gary Lunn—decided to join the duo in the formation of the band, which was eventually named “White Heart”. Through White Heart’s numerous lineup changes, Smiley and Gersmehl, the primary songwriters of the group, stayed on. Gersmehl wrote or co-wrote 15 of the White Heart’s 16 No. 1 hits, as well as numerous other Top 10 hits for other artists including Kathy Troccoli, Sandi Patty, and Geoff Moore. The band was nominated for 2 Grammy Awards and 22 Dove Awards; however, they never won either award. In 1998, the group disbanded.

Solo career
While still with White Heart, Gersmehl was encouraged by others in the music industry to consider a solo career. However, he did not begin a solo career immediately after the disbanding of White Heart. By the early 2000s, Gersmehl was ready to roll again, releasing his first solo album, Awakening, in March 2002. Gersmehl continues to tour both in the US and abroad, as well as teaching and encouraging Christians and other musicians. His wife, Brynn, often accompanies him to concerts and speaking engagements.

Family Life
On a seven-month tour in 1993, White Heart’s opening act was Rachel Rachel, CCM’s first all-girl rock band. Gersmehl and Rachel Rachel’s keyboard player, Brynn Beltran, began a relationship that blossomed into the two falling in love. After the tour, Gersmehl showed up on her doorstep, and proposed. The two were married in 1994. The two currently live in Nashville, Tennessee with their son, Trevor.

Mark Gersmehl. (2012, April 18). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12:43, July 18, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mark_Gersmehl&oldid=488014663

Created by: siremidor on 26-July-2010 - Last Edited by siremidor on 15-June-2019