DUAL BRILLIANCE

Local talent shines in two spotlights: rock vocals, and celebrity gems.

Marc Scherer’s journey from a childhood on a Pea Ridge, Arkansas farm to a dual career as a rock vocalist and celebrated jewelry designer reads like a storybook of discovery and creativity. As a young boy, Scherer scoured the farm for hidden treasures—Native American arrowheads, Civil War buttons, and quartz crystals—sparking a lifelong fascination with history and gemology. Little did he know, those early adventures would lay the groundwork for a life in both the spotlight and the atelier.

As a jeweler, Scherer has designed for Hollywood luminaries including Uma Thurman and Michael J. Fox. Several of his pieces, such as a necklace crafted for a 56-carat color-change sapphire, are now part of the Chicago Field Museum’s Grainger Hall of Gems. His work in film includes custom jewelry for The Muse, Gattaca, Mercury Rising, and an elaborate ceremonial chalice for Game of Thrones.

Scherer’s musical path has been equally impressive. He has performed with artists such as Jennifer Batten (Michael Jackson/Jeff Beck), David Pack (Ambrosia), Bill Champlin (Chicago), Mindi Abair, Sammy Hagar, and John Wetton (Asia, King Crimson, Uriah Heep). Most recently, he teamed with Grammy-winning songwriter Jim Peterik on the title track for the action-Western drama Black Creek, directed by martial artist Cynthia Rothrock and now streaming on Prime Video, Fandango At Home, Apple TV, and Tubi TV.

Scherer’s creative journey began when his family moved to Chicago. Fascinated by precious stones, he studied gemology at the Gemological Institute of America and trained in jewelry making under a master jeweler and sculptor, honing his skills at the Evanston Art Center. By 16, he had moved into a crowded Chicago brownstone with other young artists, claiming a space under the stairs as his bedroom. “I was basically the original Harry Potter,” he laughs.

His music career started unexpectedly. Singing along to the radio in a friend’s sister’s car, Scherer caught her attention, and she introduced him to a band in need of a frontman. That band became Lovecraft, and his powerful voice quickly took center stage. A chance encounter years later with Jim Peterik, founder of Survivor and co-writer of “Eye of the Tiger,” led to a long-term collaboration: demo vocals, songwriting, and most recently, a falsetto-driven title track for Black Creek called “You’re Scaring Me.”

Scherer’s cinematic connections opened additional doors. Movie companies, impressed by his creativity and reliability, repeatedly tapped him for design work, and he has even appeared on-screen—most recently riding into battle in Black Creek atop a horse named Black Powder. He will reprise his role in the upcoming sequel, Black Creek II, which includes a fight scene.

Among his proudest moments as a jeweler was setting a historic color-change sapphire for the Field Museum. The gem, originally donated at the Chicago World’s Fair, became known as the Serendipity Sapphire—a rare discovery that earned Scherer the playful title “Indiana Jones” from museum staff.

Whether performing, designing, or acting, Scherer sees a common thread in his work: inspiration. “The act of creation is an inspired work whether in music or visually,” he says. “I think of our minds as an open window that you allow light to enter and then try to do something meaningful with. Singing, for me, is a gift—and like all gifts, it’s best when you give it back. Honestly, I’d do it for free. (But shhh, don’t tell anyone!)”