Mark Thompson

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Mark LaMarr Thompson (born December 1, 1955) is a radio personality best known for the nationally-syndicated Mark and Brian morning show.

Thompson is the son of a veteran of the Pearl Harbor attack. While in high school, Thompson became interested in becoming a deejay. He got a job as a janitor at WSHF in Florence when he was 16 and used the opportunity to practice on the equipment after sign-offs in the evenings. He made a recording and used it to land a job as a weekend DJ at WOWL-FM. He continued to work in radio while attending the University of North Alabama.

In 1985 Thompson was introduced to Brian Phelps by the program manager at I-95 (WAPI-FM) in Birmingham. The two holed up and pored through each others' tapes. The next day they agreed to work together and "Mark & Brian" was born.

In the Summer of 1987 they duo was approached about moving the show to KLOS-FM in Los Angeles, California. He and Phelps continued the popular show there and created numerous spin-offs. Thompson has made several appearances in films and television, including the Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday (1993) and The Princess Diaries (2001). He had a recurring role as the title character's boyfriend during the 2002-2003 season of Reba. Thompson has also written two feature films, Mother Ghost and 2:13. He won an Emmy award for hosting "The Andy Griffith Christmas Special" in 1997.

After the Mark and Brian show aired it's final program in 2012, Thompson decided to retire to spend more time with his family and especially his wife, Linda, who survived cancer just a few years earlier. The family moved to Charlotte, North Carolina and built a home with a studio allowing he and Linda to do occasional media work. Together, they now host The Mark & Lynda Podcast, which focuses primarily on relationship issues. Thompson also co-hosts the Pro Football Slam podcast with Los Angeles Times journalist Sam Farmer and the Cool Stories in Music podcast which he says is inspired by the biographies, stories, and chart trivia segments of the Kasem-era American Top 40 radio program.

Thompson and his wife Lynda have three children: Matthew, Amy and Katie.

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