Mark Paris - Trumpet, Vocals

Mark has a BA in Music from the University of Delaware; and has been playing professionally since 1972. While in high school, his band Crossroads entered an earth day song writing contest. They took 2nd place. The band expected a cash prize. What was awarded by the honorable governor of Delaware himself was one copy of a book. It was called 'Birds In Our Lives'. As the band exited the ceremony, the sax player, not being able to resist, yelled "There's only one bird in my life!" as he 'shot the bird' in the direction of...well.... the governor himself. Thanks to the band ride, a wildly powerful 1970 buick Wildcat, they made a safe and speedy getaway. The only thing that kept Mark's college experience from being historically recorded as ".. a half decade of total irresponsibility" (Lillian Paris, 1977) was his next band, Whale, a locally popular cover/original band of 10 pieces. While in Whale (1974-1990), the band spent several years traveling the east coast. Along the way, they opened for such acts as Blood Sweat and Tears and Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels. Other claims to fame are seeing Brooke Shields in a 7-11 in Princeton, NJ and screaming "Hey Don!" at Don Rickels in a hotel parking lot in PA. While suffering through what most people would call a normal existence from 1990-2000, Mark set music aside. He became active again after a Whale Reunion show in 2001. Before forming Big Package in late 2003, Mark spent some time with the popular band U-Funk. Presently, while not performing with BP or stuck at his real job, Mark can be seen with other local favorites Boys Night Out, 9 Steps Down and Red Hot and Blue.