Born in San Antonio, Texas, but raised in Upstate New York amid the musical explosions of the 1970s and 1980s, Mark formed his first bands, US 101 and Rampage while attending High School at Oriskany Central.  Mark went on to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston and has performed in New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, and extensively in Upstate New York.

 

Returning from Boston, Mark  played in the band Silk Razor.... in early 1980 Mark formed a new local powerhouse called the Runts with former Frogs guitarist Brian Marcantonio.  NightTrain was formed in the Fall of 1980, with Rokki Mason, Sam Madonia and Steve Lamascola, with technical support from Andre Carunchio, Jennifer Werchowski, Steve Genovese, Larry Perry, John Genarro, Brian Thomas, Tom Duell and Mark Daniello among others. NightTrain would play venues such as JJ's (Rome), Joe Bravo's West Leyden Hotel (West Leyden), the Casabogie, TJ's (Pittsfield, Mass.), Milo's (Utica), Hot Rocks (Utica), the Leather Bottle (Rome), and Coleman's (Rome). NightTrain would go on to record Mark's original song "Never Too Old (to Rock and Roll)" which received wide radio play in the Mohawk Valley.

 

In September 1984, Mark and Rokki joined forces with Joel Ciotti to form Dillinger. Dillinger also toured widely, bringing live Rock and Roll to the far corners of New York in small Adirondack towns like Malone and Saranac Lake. Dillinger would record another song written by Mark called "You Can't Get It On Credit," which was also met with overwhelming local success.

 

In the summer of 1987 Dillinger played to a record crowd in excess 0f 6700 people at the Stittville Field Days!  After receiving encouraging words from  Rome native and Motley Crue, Bon Jovi manager Doug Thaler Dillinger decided to pack up and try their luck in the heart of the 1980s rock and roll scene Los Angeles,  Three guys who had never been to California.....lol With instruments in tow, the guys met the Pacific coast and played gigs at clubs on the Sunset Strip, such as "The Central," which would later become Johnny Depp's "Viper Room." 

 

Over the years, Mark and his bandmates had the opportunity to open for nationally acclaimed musicians such as the Outlaws, Badfinger, Foghat, Robin Trower, the Joe Perry Project (of Aerosmith), Nantucket, Johnny Van Zant (of Lynard Synard), Grinderswitch, the Winters Brothers, and Zebra among others.

 

In 1990, Mark decided to return home to his roots in Central New York. A new line-up of Dillinger with Jim Kelly, Dan Budzynski and Jim Paltti would pick up where the original line-up left of. Mark also began to teach guitar instruction privately and started inspiring a new generation of musicians.

 

In October 1991, Mark wrote "Christmas in the Valley," a holiday ballad that reflected on the local beauty of the Mohawk Valley. It was recorded just weeks later, on November 10, 1991, with an all-star chorus of local celebrities, regional musicians, and invited guests at Acqrok Studios in Utica, NY. The song was published to cassette and sold 1,000 copies in ten days with all profits benefitting the Stevens-Swan Humane Society. Mark was later awarded two ASCAP singer-songwriter awards for his musicianship. "Christmas in the Valley" is still on regular holiday radio rotation in the Utica-Rome area after more than three decades.

 

In 1997, Mark regrouped his musical efforts in a new group titled the "Mark Werchowski Band." This new band, consisting of Mark on guitar and vocal, Dare Riegler on bass, Dave Pallas on drums, and later Brad Wilder on keyboards, they would record Mark's first full length album entitled That's My Story…and I"m Sticking to It, which was released on Oriskany Records that same year. This band would reach local music festivals such as Mountain Jam, Utica Monday Night, and Backwoods Bash, among others.

 

In 2004, while Mark was still teaching guitar privately at Big Apple Music in New Hartford, NY, he began call on his formal education to teach music in public schools. Today, Mark formerly taught both privately and publicly, at Big Apple Music and in the Utica City School District.

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From the spring of 2015 thru 2018 Mark signed on as lead guitar player for the Fulton Chain Gang, a Central New York country band with a rock 'n' roll lean. The FCG headlined at many local venues, such as the Tin Rooster at Turning Stone Casino and the Madison County Fair, where they opened for Montgomery Gentry. 

 The original line-up of Dillinger would re-unite after 32 years for a one time standing room only crowd at the Gig at the Turning Stone Casino. "Never Say Never"