Born in the Bronx, Marc began playing drums when he was three years old. “My father and uncle played, so there were always drums in the house. I guess it was only natural that I began playing the conga.” He was nine years old when he landed one of his first professional gigs-playing in a Latin opera at Carnegie Hall in New York City and then on to perform with Tito Puente. “I grew up listening to Tito’s music, so playing side-by-side with him was amazing for me as a kid. The highlight of my career was being invited to play timbale on his one-hundredth record, which is a milestone in itself. Tito has always been my idol. He’s an amazing person and an amazing musician who’s still going strong.”
Marc Quinones went on to play with iconic artists such as Rafael di Jesus, Willie Colon, Ruben Blades, David Byrne, and by 1989 joined the group Spyro Gyra.
Marc’s positive experience in the rock and roll arena compelled him to accept a job with the Allman Brothers Band after a chance meeting with Butch Trucks in 1991. “After watching me perform one night with Spyro Gyra, Butch came backstage and told management he was going to steal me from the band. Two months later, everything kind of fell into place.”
Marc continued to play with The Allman Brothers until they disbanded in 2014 and now as a permanent member of Gregg Allman’s band.
Marc’s credo is to always put 110 percent of his effort into any job, and not only give quality work but also ensure that all accompanying music melds with his rhythm. “If someone hires me for a performance, I try to make their music, their dream, come to reality. I don’t just play a part. I try to work things out to make the music better.”
He says the payback for his effort comes from musicians and other people who approach him to tell him they’re fans of his playing. “My reward is that my name, my playing, and my reputation are solid as far as music is concerned.”
See a list of Marc’s credits on AllMusic.com.