Mark Holden

Mark Ronald Holden (born 27 April 1954) is an Australian singer, actor, TV personality, record producer, songwriter, and barrister.

Mark Ronald Holden was born on 27 April 1954 to Helen (née King) and Ron Holden at Calvary Hospital, North Adelaide.

His father's family were involved with the Holden and Sloggetts Travelling Circus; although Ron became an architect and Helen was a teacher.

In the mid-1960s, Holden became involved in music after inheriting a guitar from his older brother Craig.

Holden attended Westminster School in Adelaide and formed a school band.

Holden began writing songs and took classical vocal lessons with Lewis Dawe.

He was a pop star in the 1970s and had four top 20 hit singles, "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" (May 1976), "I Wanna Make You My Lady" (September), "Last Romance" (November) and "Reach Out for the One Who Loves You" (October 1977).

Holden regularly appeared on national pop music show, Countdown.

Holden is remembered for his clean-cut image, his white dinner suit and his penchant for handing out carnations to girls on the set of the popular television show Countdown – he was nicknamed "The Carnation Kid".

In 1972, Holden enrolled at the University of Adelaide where he studied law for three years.

In 1972, Holden was encouraged by a neighbour to audition for Adelaide Tonight, a local television show hosted by Ernie Sigley.

Holden attended an open audition along Tynte Street, North Adelaide, singing an original song and "I'll Walk with God", where he was successful and performed on the show a number of times.

In 1973, Sigley moved to Melbourne and launched his own show The Ernie Sigley Show.

Sigley invited Holden to Melbourne, where he performed on this show.

Throughout 1973, Holden travelled between Melbourne and Adelaide, balancing his music and law degree.

In 1974, Holden entered Showcase '74, a television talent show on Network 9 where he sang original folky songs.

Holden ultimately placed fifth.

John Bromwell from Essex Music encouraged Holden to relocate to Sydney and arranged a meeting with Peter Dawkins a record producer with EMI Music who signed Holden.

Holden's debut album Dawn in Darkness was released in 1975, in which Holden wrote or co-wrote all tracks.

From 1975 to 1976, Holden performed as Joseph in the first Australian production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Seymour Centre, Sydney.

He was the first pop star in the world to play the lead role.

In April 1976, Holden released a cover of Eric Carmen's "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again".

The song became a hit peaking at number 13 on the Australian Kent Music Report.

He released "I Wanna Make You My Lady" in August and "Last Romance" in November, which both peaked at number 11.

Holden issued his second studio album, Let Me Love You.

At the TV Week King of Pop Awards of 1976 he won Most Popular New Talent.

In 1976, Holden played the role of Greg Mason on the TV soap opera The Young Doctors.

In 1977, Holden released "Hey, My Love" in February which peaked at number 32, and "Reach Out for the One Who Loves You" in August, which peaked at number 17.

Holden's third album Encounter was released in September 1977.

Both Let Me Love You and Encounter were each certified double gold for shipment of 50,000 copies.

In 1977, he starred in Blue Fire Lady and Newsfront and Reach for the Stars and Case for the Defence in 1978.

At the Logie Awards of 1977, Holden won Most Popular Australian TV Teenage Personality and the George Wallace Memorial Logie for Best New Talent.

He won Most Popular Australian TV Teenage Personality in 1978 also.

In 1979, Holden relocated to Los Angeles and signed with American label Scotti Brothers Records.

His first release on this label was "Stay" which he co-wrote with Gloria Sklerov.

In the 1980s he worked as a songwriter in Los Angeles providing material recorded by Meat Loaf, Joe Cocker, Gladys Knight, Bob Welch and Steve Jones.

The song didn't chart but was covered by John Schneider on his 1981 album, Now or Never.

He was one of three original judges on the television series Australian Idol (2003–07) and the first season (2005) of The X Factor.

In 2023, Holden voiced "The Old Man" in the narrative video game RoboCop: Rogue City.

In a 2010 interview with the ABC, Holden said the band was encouraged; "I remember we were given a room under a stairwell to rehearse our band."