San Diego Music Hall of Fame®

Inducted 2018

Mark Goffeney has been recognized for his work internationally & was nominated for an Emmy award in 1998 for his principal role in the Fox Network commercial, “Feet”. Born without arms in 1969, Mark was raised to see himself as an equal in society & to value independence.

By age nine, Mark was attempting to create his own music, but choosing an instrument would prove to be a challenge. For a while he played trombone in the school band, then his dad brought home an old guitar he had found on a jobsite. With his friend’s help, Mark soon developed his own technique. He would lay the guitar on the ground, supporting the neck with whatever he could get his feet on. He would strum with his left foot & make chords with his right.

With inspiring work ethic & positive values instilled, Mark had been noticed by several charities & by 1973 had become a Poster Child & principal fund-raiser for both the Variety Club & March of Dimes. For the next decade, Mark co-hosted hundreds of telethons working side by side with celebrities including Monte Hall & Kathy Lee Gifford. By 1981, Mark was credited for having raised over 6 million dollars for children’s charities.

Mark Goffeney appeared on Real People, the Mike Douglas Show & Regis Philbin. By the end of the nineties, Mark had successfully completed his first CD, titled “Big Toe”. Sponsored by PSB Records & produced by Steve Dudas (known for his work with Aerosmith & Ozzy Osbourne). This CD is a collection of Mark Goffeney’s greatest, original songs & was featured in the San Diego Reader’s “Best of the Best”. Mark’s band Big Toe appeared nationwide, & Mark often traveled solo to Japan, Korea, Germany & the Netherlands before his untimely death in March 2021.

Excerpts from Mark Goffeney’s Band “Big Toe Rocks” Website