Mark McKinnon was born in Boulder, Colorado, and was raised in Denver.
He performed in a band called Daybreak and, following his junior year, dropped out of high school and hitchhiked to Nashville, Tennessee.
There he began his career as a songwriter and worked alongside Kris Kristofferson.
McKinnon returned to Denver to complete high school, then made his way back to Nashville to continue pursuing music.
He was named the "New Folk" winner at the 1975 Kerrville Folk Festival.

In 1976, McKinnon moved to Austin, Texas, where he earned a living as a musician.
McKinnon enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin and served as editor of the student newspaper The Daily Texan during 1980–1981.
While working for the newspaper, he was jailed briefly on a First Amendment issue after refusing to provide to police unpublished photographs of an Iranian student protest.
He left the university before completing his undergraduate work.
Mark McKinnon was born in Boulder, Colorado, and was raised in Denver. He performed in a band called Daybreak and, following his junior year, dropped out of high school and hitchhiked to Nashville, Tennessee. There he began his career as a songwriter and worked alongside Kris Kristofferson. McKinnon returned to Denver to complete high school, then made his way back to Nashville to continue pursuing music. He was named the "New Folk" winner at the 1975 Kerrville Folk Festival.
In 1976, McKinnon moved to Austin, Texas, where he earned a living as a musician. McKinnon enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin and served as editor of the student newspaper The Daily Texan during 1980–1981. While working for the newspaper, he was jailed briefly on a First Amendment issue after refusing to provide to police unpublished photographs of an Iranian student protest. He left the university before completing his undergraduate work.
Mark McKinnon