By Amanda Dyslin
MANKATO — Fame often happens with just one song.
Devo, “Whip It.” Dexys Midnight Runners, “Come on Eileen.” Soft Cell, “Tainted Love.” Deep Blue Something, “Breakfast At Tiffanys.” The list goes on.
Marc Cohn isn’t necessarily a one-hit wonder. But undeniably, when you think Cohn, you think “Walkin’ In Memphis,” a song about a boy with the blues taking a trip to Memphis. Eighteen years after its release, the song can still be heard often on popular radio.
Cohn, a singer-songwriter, and guitarist Shane Fontane will be performing an intimate show in the banquet hall at the Verizon Wireless Center Sunday, singing songs like “Memphis,” which tell a story and strike a chord. Eric Jones of the Verizon Center calls Cohn an excellent pianist and expects a great show.
In addition to music, Cohn will be telling stories and talking a lot with the crowd of about 800 people.
“It’s called ‘An Evening of Music and Conversation,’” Jones said. “The guests are invited to submit questions, and he talks about his songs and his career.”
One interesting story Cohn has talked about is the night he was shot, Jones said. Cohn was shot in the head during an attempted carjacking Aug. 7, 2005, in Denver. The incident followed a concert with Suzanne Vega.
The bullet apparently struck Cohn in the temple but didn’t penetrate his skull. He was released from the hospital within a day, but his tour was canceled.
Cohn, 50, has released four albums, including his self-titled release in 1991 that included “Walkin’ In Memphis,” “The Rainy Season” in 1993, “Burning the Daze” in 1998 and “Join the Parade” in 2007.
He won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1991.
Cohn wrote the song “My Great Escape” for the 1995 film “The Cure,” and he performed two songs on the 1987 album of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Starlight Express.”
Cohn was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and attended Oberlin College. He married ABC news journalist Elizabeth Vargas. The couple met in 1999 at the U.S. Open, having been introduced by Andre Agassi.
