Just one year after the infamous Milli Vanilli scandal cast a shadow over the category, the Cleveland-born singer-songwriter walked away with the award thanks largely to one unforgettable song: "Walking in Memphis."
As Cohn celebrates his 67th birthday on July 5, it's worth remembering that the man behind one of the most beloved songs of the early 1990s has lived a life every bit as remarkable as the music he created.
Growing up in suburban Cleveland, music became both an escape and a source of comfort. He immersed himself in artists like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Van Morrison and the Band, eventually learning guitar before teaching himself piano while attending college. The losses he experienced as a child would later become a quiet thread running through many of his most personal songs.
He played coffeehouses around Los Angeles, worked as a session musician, sang in cover bands and even played piano on Tracy Chapman's 1989 album Crossroads. For years, he wasn't sure he'd written the songs he was capable of writing.
A Trip to Memphis Changed Everything
"There was no sense until the very end of the trip that there might be a song in there," he recalled in a 2022 interview with Songwriting Magazine.
The two talked for hours about music, faith and Cohn's childhood, including the deaths of his parents. At the end of the evening, after they sang "Amazing Grace" together, Wilkins leaned over and quietly told him:
Within days of returning to New York, Cohn sat down at the piano and wrote "Walking in Memphis," a song he has described as being about far more than the city itself.
While "Walking in Memphis" became Cohn's signature song, fellow musicians have often pointed to something even more distinctive: his voice.
That emotional honesty helped Cohn stand apart from many of his contemporaries. His debut album went platinum, earned him the Grammy for Best New Artist and launched a career that included acclaimed albums like The Rainy Season, collaborations with artists including David Crosby, Graham Nash, Bonnie Raitt and the Blind Boys of Alabama, and decades of touring.
Doctors told him he was "the luckiest unlucky guy they had met in a long, long time." Rather than letting the experience define him, Cohn eventually channeled the trauma into songs on his 2007 album Join the Parade.
"I feel like it's time to tell you, my fans, what many of my colleagues, friends and family already know. About 5 years ago, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease," wrote Cohn in a message to his fans on Instagram.
For an artist who once wondered whether he'd ever write the songs he dreamed of writing, that's a fitting legacy. On his 67th birthday, Marc Cohn remains far more than a one-hit wonder. He's a gifted storyteller whose most famous song opened the door to a career defined by resilience, empathy and the rare ability to make listeners feel every word.
Related: 1982 Classic, 'Detested' by the Band, Became a Soft Rock Anthem
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