Bio

Donna

Rhythm Guitar and Lead Vocals

Donna is the very heart of the Mystics and with good reason. A musician by age 9, at 13 she was singing and playing guitar in her father's locally acclaimed country band. From then on she has been an integral part of the music scene in Central New York, appearing in every type of venue imaginable, from Fire Halls to Ballrooms, open-air festivals to banquets.

Included in her many accomplishments was winning first place in a performing contest in New York, then going on to sweep a nationally-televised contest against 60 other contestants in Nashville. This lead to a spot in the prestigious Nashville Talent Showcase, where she captured second place out of 20 finalists.

Closer to home, Donna has been selected as the New York State Country Music Association's Vocalist of The Year as well as Entertainer of the Year. In 2010, Donna was inducted in the Cortland Country Music Hall of Fame in Cortland, New York & in 2017 Donna received the Lifetime Achievement Award as voted on from her peers. Donna Minnoe, A True Entertainer who strives on making sure everyone is entertained! 

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Mark

Lead Guitar, Steel Guitar, and Lead/Harmony Vocals

Mark can be seen on a typical Mystics night playing a blaze of hot lead guitar, sweet melodies in dance music, or behind his pedal steel for when that special country flavor is needed.

Mark's skillful repertoire began at the age of 12 when he became part of the Minnoe family act, The Silver Spur Band. At age 17, Mark won first place in a State-wide contest as Junior Instrumentalist and Vocalist, in addition to winning other such contests.

When Mark founded the band Southern Express, he spent the next sixteen years building the group into a first-rate, widely acclaimed group selected to be the opening act for such professional shows as Marty Martel and the Midnight Special Band and Billy Montana.

Today, Mark holds it all together as the Band Leader for The Mystics and with him as their "point man", the band has become a country music force to be reckoned with!

As music professionals based in Moravia, NY, Donna & The Mystics are always looking for opportunities to develop their technical skills and collaborate with creative professionals. They’ve already worked on several groundbreaking projects and continue to push themselves in stretching their imagination and musical boundaries. If you’d like to learn more about their inspirations, interests, or past work, get in touch today.