Marco Mendoza started his professional career in 1989, playing bass for former Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward's solo album Along the Way, which was released in January 1990. In 1991, he replaced former Heart bassist Steve Fossen in the band Alias in 1991. Mendoza played on the band's second album Never Say Never, but Alias was dropped by Capitol Records in 1992 and the album was shelved. He played in John Sykes' band Blue Murder, from 1992 until 1993. In 1994, he was recruited into a reformed lineup of Thin Lizzy, also featuring Sykes, with guitarist Scott Gorham, keyboard player Darren Wharton and drummer Brian Downey. After some preliminary one-off concerts, the band toured more consistently from 1996 until 2000, replacing the departing Downey with Tommy Aldridge and releasing the live album One Night Only.[3]
From 2000 to 2003, Mendoza recorded and toured with Ted Nugent, and in 2004 he toured with Whitesnake, another band that once featured Sykes and Aldridge, and appeared on their DVD Live... in the Still of the Night. Also in 2004, Mendoza guested on keyboardist Derek Sherinian's solo album Mythology. However, he returned to Thin Lizzy in 2005, replacing Randy Gregg. He left the band in 2007, and subsequently toured with ex-Dokken guitarist George Lynch in his band Lynch Mob.
After Sykes left Thin Lizzy in 2009, Mendoza rejoined the band for a third stint, this time with Gorham, Wharton, Downey, singer Ricky Warwick and guitarist Vivian Campbell. This lineup of Thin Lizzy toured Europe throughout 2011, before a US tour at the end of the year, and a further tour of Europe in early 2012.
When not touring, Mendoza has played with his band Mendoza Heredia Neto, featuring drummer Joey Heredia and keyboard player Renato Neto, on Tuesday nights at La Ve Lee Jazz Club in Studio City. The band has recorded a live CD, Live in L.A.
In April 2022, Mendoza was announced as the bassist for the supergroup Iconic, featuring Michael Sweet, Joel Hoekstra, Tommy Aldridge, and Nathan James.[8] The band's debut album is called Second Skin. They released a lead single, entitled "Nowhere to Run".
In 2022, Marco was announced as the bassist and vocalist for russian iconic hairmetal band Gorky Park produced by Stas Namin.