Mark Newton
Mark Newton (born 1957) is an American bluegrass singer, guitarist, and festival promoter. He performed in regional ensembles during the 1970s and 1980s including the Knoxville Grass and Heights of Grass before co-founding The Virginia Squires alongside Sammy Shelor, Rickie Simpkins, and Ronnie Simpkins. Following the band's dissolution, he signed with Rebel Records to launch a solo career. Newton won the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Recorded Event of the Year award in 2001 for his landmark collaborative compilation Follow Me Back to the Fold: A Tribute to Women in Bluegrass. He also co-founded the long-running Graves Mountain Bluegrass Festival.