Mark McGrath was born in Hartford, Connecticut, on March 15, 1968, and grew up in California, majoring in Los Angeles’ Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. After college, he was actually a truck driver for a time before deciding to pursue a career in music.

Mark led and played in a number of different bands before he really made it big. One early band—that Mark was only part of for one day—was the Electric Kool Aid from Newport Beach, with members Anton Newcombe and Matt Hollywood from The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Hollywood is now part of the group The Out Crowd.

Then, in 1992, Mark McGrath hooked up with a popular group called Shrinky Dinx, and decided to stick with them, becoming front man and lead singer. Two years later the band changed its name to Sugar Ray and secured a recording contract with Atlantic Records. Although their debut release as Sugar Ray did not do very well, in 1997 their single "Fly" became a catchy and popular #1 hit, after which the band achieved further success and critical acclaim. Sugar Ray included other band members Rodney Sheppard, Murphy Karges, Stan Frazier, and Craig Bullock.

Because of his success with Sugar Ray, Mark McGrath suddenly became renowned everywhere as a successful rock star. His spiked hair and tan face was seen everywhere from major magazine covers and spreads (such as Spin and Rolling Stone) and through making guest appearances on major talk shows, awards shows, and on programs like MTV. He continued to provide guest and cameo appearances on TV programs like Las Vegas and North Shore, and movies such as Father’s Day in 1997, starring Robin Williams and Billy Crystal. Further, the entire Sugar Ray band appeared in 2002’s Scooby-Doo movie, starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Matthew Lillard. He also added the song "Reaching Out" on a tribute album, Strait Up, in honor of vocalist Lynn Strait’s memory. In 1998, when McGrath was thirty, People magazine crowned him as "Sexiest Rocker."

Continuing with his trademark as a guest or cameo, Mark McGrath served as a guest judge for the American Idol auditions in 2004, alongside Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson. McGrath also co-hosted NBC’s Radio Music Awards in 2005, with Jaime Presley.

Due to similar physical attributes, Mark McGrath is renowned for being mistaken for actor Ethan Hawke. Mark and Ethan reportedly sign autographs with each other’s names.

McGrath has been busy since his Sugar Ray days as the co-host of Extra, with Dayna Devon in September 2004 and seems content to remain there for now.

YUDDY