Question Mark, the frontman for the 1960s Mexican-Amrican one-hit heroes, Question Mark and the Mysterians, undoubtedly shed more than ?96 Tears? when a fire decimated his Flint, Michigan, home of forty years.
The singer, who was not covered by homeowner?s insurance (fire coverage is so not rock & roll), lost a lifetime of precious memorabilia including a gold record and an organ that apparently once belonged to Pink Floyd. Sadly, his pets?four Yorkshire terriers and a cockatoo?perished in the blaze. The devastated rocker has had his spirits lifted by talk of a superstar-studded benefit concert. The Mark has mentioned several Michigan-area artists like Bob Seger, Kid Rock, Uncle Kracker and Eminem plus the Mysterians (of course) as potential headliners. ?The phone’s been ringing off the hook,” Question Mark told The Flint Journal.
The Mysterians topped the charts in 1966 with ?96 Tears? (the missing gold record) and are believed to be the first band to be described as ?punk rock.? They are also the first Latino rock group to have a mainstream pop hit. Question Mark?s actual name is believed to be Rudy Martinez but had it changed to ? decades ago and claims that he is actually a Martian who once lived with dinosaurs.
Clearly thiz is a man who needs a little help. If you have any ideas about how to replace some of his lost treasures, we?d love to hear them. You can also contact him directly at: Question Mark and the Mysterians, P.O. Box 96, Clio, MI 48420, on his MySpace page?or by using a standard issue Martian communicator.
