Mack MacKenzie
Born in Lincoln, Maine, Mack MacKenzie is of native Micmac, Scottish, Irish, Dutch and French ancestry. Shortly after his family moved to Montreal in the early 1970s, Mack took an interest in music, starting with the guitar at age eight. By the time he reached fourteen, he was playing in his first band and writing songs. It was in 1985 that Mack's best-known band, Three O'Clock Train, first recorded their "Wigwam Beach" EP, which was followed the next year by the album "Muscle In."
Fans and critics alike acclaimed both recordings. John Griffin, writing in the Montreal Gazette, wrote, "What makes Three O'Clock Train different is that Mack MacKenzie writes songs like he has to." The Montreal Mirror's Chris Yurkiw recently referred to Mack as, "perhaps the best songwriter this city has produced in the past ten years." To this day, many cite Three O'Clock Train's influence on such successful Canadian bands as Blue Rodeo and Cowboy Junkies. T
he group's recordings have shown up on countless "best of" lists, and past performances are remembered fondly. Three O'Clock Train performed throughout Canada to enthusiastic acclaim, always leaving an indelible impression on those fortunate enough to have witnessed their impassioned live performances. As a solo acoustic performer, Mack has performed at the Mariposa and Winnipeg Folk Festivals and was a featured artist for a showcase at the SxSW Music & Media Conference in Austin, Texas, and at the Bluebird Café in Nashville.
Mack has also opened shows for such luminaries as Billy Bragg, Rick Danko, Cowboy Junkies and John Hiatt. He has performed on stage with John Prine, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, John Gorka, Los Lobos, The Leslie Spit Tree-O and Men Without Hats.