Memphis harmonica player Mark Sallings was killed in an automobile accident on February 25. Arkansas State Police say Sallings died when his 1995 Buick veered onto the westbound shoulder of Highway 64. He was 56.

Sallings was born and raised near Helena, Arkansas. He began playing professionally at age 14. After high school, he worked in Memphis as a session player at Stax Records with J.R. Brewer, Steve Cropper, and Ron Capone. He also played in several bands. He finally moved to Memphis, then to New Orleans for a year, where he played for tips in the French Quarter. By age 25 Sallings was signed, with Coon Elder and the Brenda Patterson Band, to Mercury Records and appeared on the cover of Billboard magazine. He also had one of his original songs, "Mark's Harpo," placed on a Sun Records compilation CD in the mid 1980s.

His recording experiences were extensive and most recently he appeared on Ruby Wilson's latest CD and Jim Dickinson's CD Voodoo Tiger, which was released March of 2006.

In 1991 Sallings band, The Famous Unknowns, were the first house band at B.B. King’s Blues Club on Beale Street in Memphis. The Unknowns released an independent CD produced by Dickinson. In 1995 Sallings was signed to indie label Vent records out of Birmingham, Alabama and released two CDS, Let it Be Known and Talkin' To Myself. He also released an independent project, Temporary Life.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.