Mark Bryan, Road Trip: Myrtle Beach’s Unassuming Star

The parking lot at Glen Dornoch was full of late model cars, many of the high-end variety, until Road Trip: Myrtle Beach star Mark Bryan arrived.

Bryan pulled into the parking lot, ferrying his castmates, in a navy blue, 1988 Chevy Suburban big enough to haul Kanye West’s ego. With the understated Bryan at the wheel, hubris was never a factor when the wood paneled SUV was on the scene.

To be clear, the car, despite its age, doesn’t run like a two-decade old tank. Bryan bought the car in 2001 for $6,000, installed a new engine and refurbished the interior and exterior for less than $20,000. He has driven the vehicle since.

“I wanted a cool, old car that I could keep for the rest of my life,” Bryan said. “I just customized it and went for it. It has a lot of character, and I love it.”

The vehicle is Bryan in a nutshell. In a time when the American economy is drowning, due largely to overindulgence, Bryan’s lifestyle remains efficient. He occasionally plays golf barefooted, jeans and a t-shirts are his preferred wardrobe, and he rarely draws attention to himself.

The Hootie & the Blowfish guitarist comports himself like the average Myrtle Beach golfer, not a guy who has sold more than 20 million albums. That’s part of what makes him a perfect fit for the Road Trip: Myrtle Beach cast.

An 11.7 handicap, Bryan, who used the game as an outlet when he was on the road touring, is a good golfer, but he struggles with the same maladies that creep into the game of amateur golfers across the globe.

“I’m the classic 12-handicap golfer that makes amateur mistakes,” Bryan said. “I think that’s important for the show because 90 percent of the golfers that come to Myrtle Beach are going to be hackers. It’s good for them to see one of their own on the show, and I belong to that group.”

In some ways, a part of Bryan belongs to the Grand Strand. When Hootie & the Blowfish were a college band selling CDs out of the trunk, the Myrtle Beach community embraced them, years ahead of the public at large.

“I’ve been coming to Myrtle Beach since the late 80s playing shows,” said Bryan, who grew up in Rockville, Md., before attending the University of South Carolina. “We built quite a following here. At one point, we were drawing more people in Myrtle Beach than anywhere else we were playing (before hitting it big).”

Bryan’s kids live in Myrtle Beach, and he remains close with his ex-wife, her family and a host of friends in the area. So Bryan and his Suburban are more than a little familiar with Highway 17 heading into Myrtle Beach.

With Hootie on hiatus, other than playing charity events, Bryan’s post Road Trip: Myrtle Beach schedule is light by design. His immediate focus is on his three children.

But he will continue to work, writing songs for television shows, fellow musicians and himself. Bryan owns nearly 30 instruments, and he continues to work hard on his vocals. Not blessed with the natural singing voice of a Josh Kelley or Darius Rucker, Bryan has worked, with success, to improve his singing voice.

Earlier this year he released a solo album, End of the Front, and he plays live shows with Occasional Milkshake, a band he formed with percussionist Gary Greene (Cravin Melon/Hootie) and bass player Hank Futch (Blue Dogs). As a matter of fact, the trio played a concert at the House of Blues that will be featured on the November 25 episode of Road Trip: Myrtle Beach.

After a summer tour and more than 20 years playing with Hootie, Bryan’s upcoming schedule will be understandably relaxed. But one thing is assured, there are a lot more road trips to Myrtle Beach in his future.

Q&A With Mark Bryan

Who taught you the game of golf?

I took the game up as a teenager, but didn’t take it seriously until I was 28. I took golf lessons with the coach at the University of South Carolina, Puggy Blackmon. Puggy taught me how to make a turn on the golf ball.

How often do you play golf?

For about the last 15 years of my life, I’ve probably played, on average, about once a week.

How many songs have you written and cataloged?
Over 100 but probably not 200.

What has the success of Hootie’s first album, Cracked Rear View Mirror, meant to the band members?
It’s still overwhelming. It’s not something we talk about (selling more than 16 million copies of a single album) every day … It’s been nice. It’s allowed us to have the kind of career we want; that’s a wonderful thing, but we all did it out of the love and passion for the music.

What is your favorite Myrtle Beach golf course?
Caledonia.