LOIS ROBINSON

Mother of Mark (Air Miami, Teen Beat)

When he was two-and-a-half he sang "Jingle Bells" at a restaurant. It was Christmas time and he was on stage.

How did he get up there?

The band leader picked him up. I mean, he didn't just walk up there himself. His next musical experience was playing the violin. I think you're in third grade when you do that. And he did very well, then all of a sudden the violin, uh, stopped going back and forth. There was no more violin. Then he started visiting my neighbors, Bill and Barbara, and Bill had a guitar so he taught Mark how to play. I do recall he wanted to have a record company and I guess it was about, hmm, fourth grade that we went to the library...

Fourth grade?!?

Yeah, he got books on how to start a record company. He's very focused.

So he never wanted to be an astronaut?

No, he had a paper route when he was very young. Very determined, bright. He was in little league and hockey. He really tried hard. He went to hockey camp when he was older than most kids and was able to get some award..."the one that improved the most (laughs)."

Oh yeah, I know that one. I'd get "good sportsmanship."

He always had a sense of adventure. We went to London in `89. He wanted to go really badly. Then I found out it was mainly to visit record stores (laughs).

Did the whole family go?

No, it was just Mark and me.

Do you two do things together a lot?

Once a year we used to go out to Skyline Drive and look at the fall foliage. Once, all of a sudden, he stopped the car and ran out and, for fun, start climbing this uh...well, it was straight up, it wasn't really climbable ... but I followed him up there because I was so afraid he'd fall down in traffic.

This was recently? Or was he like 12?

No, this was a couple years ago! That same trip we went to Belgium. He had been corresponding with somebody in a record store in Belgium and he didn't speak whatever the language was. We got on the wrong train but he was determined to find the store and we finally found it and so we took pictures of the guy. Mark has incredible navigational skills. Unlike me.

Growing up, did he have any particular heroes?

He lived in the basement, he still does, and he had these pictures all over. One was Mr. Rogers. I don't think he was a hero. And Elvis, not Presley, the other Elvis. I really wish I could remember all of them...

Have you followed his music career much?

I try to read everything I can. I know he's had a lot of articles published in the Post. I remember the one that said he was best-known in England, not on his home turf. I have some of the CDs and I did go to the last live show.

Was it a surprise for you at first to see Mark up on stage? What was that like?

Well, I saw him first in high school. Then I saw him at the 9:30 Club, which was fun because there were all these musicians there that I knew because they had been at the house. Like Johnny Cohen and Andrew Riley from Eggs ... yeah, I enjoy seeing him up there!

Is there something about Mark that you think fans of his should know that they wouldn't know otherwise.

Yeah I guess I've heard that it's hard to get to know Mark, but once you get to know him he's quite talkative and he's very bright ... oh, and he's fun!