Mark Lindsay was born on March 9, 1942, in Eugene, Oregon. He was the second of eight children. The family moved to Idaho when he was young.

Lindsay began performing at the age of fifteen with local bands. He was tapped to sing in a band called Freddy Chapman and the Idaho Playboys after he won a local talent contest. After Chapman left the area, Lindsay saw the other band members and a new member, Paul Revere, playing at a local I.O.O.F. Hall. He persuaded the current band to allow him to sing a few songs with them.