Every kid wants to be a rock star, and if you follow your dreams and don't give up easy, you can actually make a career by devoting your life to music. Marcus' love for music has already taken him across the world and back home to New York on a wild ride with some surprising turns.

About a decade ago, a teen aged Marcus spent his Westchester adolescence appearing in local talent shows (and one appearance on a national TV show). Marcus got together and wrote his first song with a friend, a shy guy named Richard Hall who was beginning to make a name for himself as a DJ in New York City's underground nightlife scene. Richard later emerged as the international techno guru known as Moby. Marcus admits that this first songwriting attempt, was part trial and mostly error.

"We were basically playing around in the studio, putting down lyrics over a pop sample," laughs Marcus. He and Hall passed the tape to a friend in the business, who suggested they go back to the drawing board. A second, more serious attempt at an original composition resulted in the song "Time and Time Again," produced by Hall and performed by Marcus. The single was picked up by Sony and released in France. "Time and Time Again" showed enough promise that the label asked him to record another song.

Marcus' second single, "Let The Rain Fall," started getting serious radio play in France and Marcus went on tour to support it. Although never released in the United States, "Let The Rain Fall" made enough of an impact to be included in a Polygram Record's dance compilation along with the likes of Mary J. Blige, Run-DMC and Aerosmith, and Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince.

During the early 90's, Marcus continued to tour locally as well as in France. One of his first New York shows was sold-out at the well-respected industry showcase - the New Music Cafe in Tribeca. Soonafter, Marcus seized an unexpected business opportunity and opened a bar/lounge called Reminisce, on New York's Upper East Side, which he ran while continuing to record for the Polygram France label.

Reminisce became a popular local nightspot, and it was these early years as a DJ, nightclub and concert promoter that helped set the tone for his path. His single, "Life Will Make You Dance" reached #26 on the French pop charts and got heavy European club play. It was only a matter of time before word traveled back to DJs in the US and New York City especially ­ a dream come true for most dance artists. With a good dose of irony, he still recalls his first N.Y. radio moment.

"I had just left Reminisce and was driving home. It was around 3 a.m., and back then Tony Humphies had a late night mix show on HOT 97 FM. All of a sudden my song, "Life Will Make You Dance," comes on the radio - but it wasn't really my song. Someone had re-mixed a bootleg dub version and it started getting played on New York radio, so my song became a hit without me!"

But that was about to change. With the underground success of the "Life Will Make You Dance" dub, the label re-cut the song with Marcus' vocals and released it as a 12" single. Continuing to record, Marcus released his first EP, "Marcus Life," but his own life soon became deeply immersed in the New York nightlife scene, with his purchase the following year of the New Music Cafe. Marcus envisioned his new club not only as a late-night hotspot for New York nightcrawlers, but a unique performance space that offered live musical and cabaret acts, from headliners to promising new talent.

A music obsessed, studio rat by night, the entrepreneurial mover and shaker reopened the club as he saw it and named it Shine, making it one of the more prestigious nightclubs in New York City, a hangout for celebrities and a well-known nocturnal hotspot. Although the non-stop business of running both Shine and Reminisce put his recording schedule on hold, Marcus stayed deeply immersed in music, working closely with DJs and hand-picking Shine's performance roster. He could often be found in the early morning hours at Shine watching the shows with the other patrons.

Although the reputation of Shine led to Marcus becoming a media personality in his own right (he and Shine have been featured on Access Hollywood, in the pages of the infamous New York Post's Page Six, New York Magazine, and the New York Times), Marcus will admit that the biggest perk was the chance to meet fellow musicians and performers.

Such friends included Prince B and Jared Cordes, the platinum-selling duo PM Dawn, who recently performed at Shine's Millennium Eve bash. Shortly after the new year, Marcus caught the bug to record again with P.M. Dawn signed on as producers. With Marcus once again focused on writing and recording new songs, the duo have created pop music that celebrates itself knowingly. Songs like "He Rocks" and the Latin-flavored "Fun In The Sun". Shifting all his day-to-day Shine responsibilities to his brother, Marcus traded in his day job for a full-time musical career.

Now back full-time where it all started, this performer, artist and self-proclaimed "pop-aholic", is releasing his first record in the United States. In sync with his passion, Marcus created a hot, new, modern-day version of the #1 '80s anthem "Pop Muzik" by M. The recreated "Pop Musik" (spelled differently from the original and produced with luminaries P.M. Dawn), is the first record of its kind ­ a sincere tribute to today's pop artists. Marcus even hit the studio with his most favorite '80s icon of all ­ Howard Jones. Together Howard and Marcus reworked the Howard Jones hit "Like to Get to Know You Well." P.M. Dawn produced this track along with the ten other songs already written and recorded by Marcus.

After being pursued by several major record labels, Marcus is signed to Clive Davis' new label J Records and will continue to aspire to the ultimate pop sensibility: fun, danceable music and pure entertainment. Stay tuned...