Mars Bonfire
Dennis Edmonton (born Dennis Eugene McCrohan; 21 April 1943), also known by the stage name Mars Bonfire, is a Canadian rock musician and songwriter, best known for writing the hit song "Born to Be Wild" for Steppenwolf.
Also recorded as Dennis Eugene McCrohan · Dennis Edmonton · Mars Boufire
Mars Bonfire
- Name
- Mars Bonfire
- Birth Name
- Dennis Eugene McCrohan
- Born
- 21 April 1943
- Birthplace
- Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
- Occupation
- Musician, songwriter
- Nationality
- Canada.
- Fields
- rock music.
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Documentary summary
Dennis Edmonton (born Dennis Eugene McCrohan; 21 April 1943), also known by the stage name Mars Bonfire, is a Canadian rock musician and songwriter, best known for writing the hit song "Born to Be Wild" for Steppenwolf.
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Note VALÉORINE
Mars Bonfire (born 1943) is a Canadian composer, guitarist and musician, among other activities. The composer was born in Oshawa. Mars Bonfire is a member of The Sparrows. Genres include rock music.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 01 October 2026
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In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Mars Bonfire • Birth Name — Dennis Eugene McCrohan • Alias — Dennis Edmonton • Born — 21 April 1943 • Birthplace — Oshawa, Ontario, Canada • Genre — Rock • Occupation — Musician, songwriter • Instrument — guitar • Associated Acts — Steppenwolf, The Sparrows
Early career
Early career
Born Dennis Eugene McCrohan, he and his brother Jerry changed their surnames to "Edmonton" in the early 1960s. The brothers were part of the band the Sparrows, which later evolved into Steppenwolf. Another member of the Sparrows was Bruce Palmer, who later became a member of Buffalo Springfield.
Solo career
Solo career
Bonfire embarked on a solo career, while his brother Jerry became the drummer for Steppenwolf. After leaving the band, he often collaborated with Kim Fowley, co-writing and contributing to the recordings of Fowley and artists associated with him. On 22 June 2015, SOCAN awarded Bonfire the Cultural Impact Award at the 2015 SOCAN Awards in Toronto for his song "Born to be Wild".
Personal life
Personal life
Bonfire was a prolific hiker in Southern California for many years. He has completed the Hundred Peaks Section list 25 times. He was noted by the Los Angeles Times for his "affability and flexibility" as a hike leader.
Discography
Songs by Mars Bonfire that were recorded by Steppenwolf include: • "Born to Be Wild" (Steppenwolf, 1968) • "Faster than the Speed of Life" (The Second, 1968) • "Ride with Me" (For Ladies Only, 1971) • "Tenderness" (For Ladies Only, 1971) • "The Night Time's for You" (co-written with Morgan Cavett, For Ladies Only, 1971) • "Caroline (Are You Ready for the Outlaw World)" (Hour of the Wolf, 1975) Albums: • Mars Bonfire (1968) • Faster than the Speed of Life (1969)
Primary material
Documents and archives
Institutional database
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q4354354: Mars Bonfire
Scholarly · Wikimedia Foundation
reference work
- “Mars Bonfire”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
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Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Allmusic. Mars Bonfire Biography.
- 2.Dave Simpson. How we made Steppenwolf's Born to Be Wild: Interview. The Guardian. 31 July 2018.
- 3.2015 SOCAN Awards.
- 4.Twenty-Fifth List Completion - Hundred Peaks Section.
- 5.Reynolds, Christopher Been There. Done That. Once Again. Los Angeles Times 2004-09-28
- 6.Bonfire, Mars. Mars Bonfire. AllMusic. 1968.
- 7.Bonfire, Mars. Faster than the Speed of Life. AllMusic. 1969.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
Institutional database
Wikidata, structured authority record Q4354354: Mars BonfireWikimedia Foundation
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Born at
1- OshawaPlace
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
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