Recently I was in North Carolina on business and a friend introduced me to a Country Music artist who had the most incredible story. We sat down and talked for maybe half an hour as his story unfolded before me. Some of the details were as follows;
In the first year and a half of his professional career, Gary Lee Michael, was nominated for Most Promising Male Vocalist of the Year and Independent Songwriter of the Year by the MIRL (Major Independent Record Labels Association of Nashville) as well as the CMA “Eagle Award”. Gary also won the EIA (Entertainer Indie Association of Nashville) award, was inducted into the Alabama Country Music Hall of Fame and given an honorary membership to the CMA. In 1991, Gary was also appointed States Representative of the Southeast Region for the CMA.
Gary’s first single was “Daddy’s Little Girl”, a song that touched the hearts of people all over the world. This was evidenced when “Daddy’s Little Girl” became the most requested song for three weeks in Ireland. First lady Barbara Bush even sent a card thanking Gary for writing such a touching song. Radio personalities responded with great praise as well and to this day people still ask Gary about the song. The video was shown on CMT, “Shot Gun Red”, and “The Morning Show” in Birmingham Alabama. “Daddy’s Little Girl” was followed by “Wish You Didn’t Love Him The Way I Love You” and a third single entitled “Hometown Boy” that soared into the top 20 reaching #19 on the Billboard charts and #8 on the Cash Box charts.
Gary’s most exciting moment in country music came when he looked at the charts and saw his song “Home Town Boy” at #19 with a bullet and Garth Brooks “Two of a Kind” at #20 with Vince Gil’s “Pocket Full of Gold” at #18.
Little did Gary know that several weeks later his promising career would come to a screeching halt…
Gary began playing and singin’ in the church at age four, tutored by his parents Roy and Mildred Sikes of Matthews North Carolina. Roy and Mildred played eleven musical instruments between themselves. Later Gary would master the guitar, bass guitar, piano and lap steel with proficiency. Musical talent had been bred into him.
At sixteen, Gary started playing bass guitar for a gospel group, which is when he began to write songs. Gary had a penchant for ballads and songs that he felt were meaningful. In his own words Gary recalls “I love up-tempo songs but my heart is in the ballads…” Gary was a shy boy and a little afraid to ask girls out. With the help of his guitar he overcame his shyness… “There was this shopping center near where I grew up. Everybody would ride through cruising, and just look at each other, but hardly anyone would ever pull over and talk. One night I was about out of gas, so I pulled over and got out and sat on the hood of my car with my guitar. Next thing I knew, there were girls everywhere. It was so funny, all the were still riding by looking and here I was, surrounded by all the girls.”
One evening while Gary was playing a song he had written, a man walked up to him inquiring as to whether he had other songs. After playing a few, Walter Bailes introduced himself. The Bailes Brothers vocal group were a Nashville staple, and second only to Roy Acuff at the Grand Ole Opry until they left to promote the Louisiana Hay Ride. Walter Bailes was also a hit songwriter having written many of the Kitty Wells hits. Walter took an interest and told Gary he might be able to do something with his music. With Walters help Gary got on “The Country Boy Eddie Show”, a syndicated television show. Tammy Wynette had gotten her start on his show. Walter also help Gary get on Ernest Tubb’s “The Midnight Jamboree” a radio show out of Nashville airing on WSM FM radio. Gary also secured a guest spot on “The Grand Ole Opry Warm-up Show”.
Gary performed and held company with some of the biggest names in country including Garth Brooks, Randy Travis, Porter Wagoner and Ronnie Milsap.
Six days away from finalizing his deal with Warner Bros, Gary suffered a near fatal car crash. He remembers to this day, the sounds of the crash and fighting to free himself from the car before an explosion…He’d lost it all under the wheels of a tractor trailer.
Evidently Gary has a newly recorded self- titled release that is to come out on indie label Fires of August in the summer or fall of 2008. He's working with Producer and music marketing pro Greg Philippi out of Los Angeles. According to Gary, lyrical themes and melodies for a sophomore effort are already flowing fast and furious as he prepares to promote his initial release.
-Nick Danger
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Sonny and Cher, Angels and a Wild Thing...
Sonny & Cher
Over many years of working in and around music I've discovered one truth and that is self evident to the industry. That is that musicians and other showbiz people are basically like everyone else. Some are enjoyable folks and fun to be around and some...well they aren't so fun to be around. They have families and bills and egos and addictions...
Back in the 80's I was on staff at a morning television show in Hollywood. Sonny Bono was on the show that day and I had been sitting outside when he left the studio. I shared a pristine copy of his solo album which suffered from poor sales mainly because it was supposed to be a 60's drug induced trip only Sonny didn't take drugs so the musical images didn't quite gel. Sonny signed my album and we talked for a while. He joked that I had one of the only copies...At the time Sonny had gone into politics but he still held a passion for music. When I asked what he'd been up to musically you could see the sparkle in his eyes. They lit up as he described a home studio he was building. He'd been writing songs as well. As a talented Producer and song-writer he'd guided Sonny & Cher in the studio in the early days and Produced some of their hits that still stand-up today though Sonny never received the accolades he deserved from the industry for all his achievements. We exchanged information and I offered to help out with his new studio before we parted...Shortly thereafter Sonny Bono was killed in a tragic skiing accident.
Angel of the Morning
A little over a year ago I met singer songwriter named Chip Taylor following a show at McCabes in Los Angeles. Chip is most often referred to as the guy who wrote "Wild Thing" which in and of itself is quite an accomplishment but he's actually written quite a few other hit songs for quite a few artists as well as having nurtured a solo career himself over the years. Recently, after being ejected from all the major casinos in Atlantic City, because he won too often, Chip came back to music following a several year hiatus. I caught up with him again recently at another show, where he included another hit he'd written; "Angel of the Morning" in the set. Originally a hit for Merilee Rush in the 60's, Juice Newton later charted with her cross-over version in the 70's and artist Shaggy hit the charts with a club version in the early 80's.
A few months ago Fires of August country artist Gary Lee Michael played Cricket Arena in Charlotte North Carolina opening for Juice Newton. It was the first show in 17 years for the former Billboard and Cashbox charting country artist. Gary appeared with an 8 piece band, holding the hometown audience in his hand throughout his set. I couldn't help feeling a strange connection having met the composer of "Angel of the Morning" and then seeing it performed by one of the charting artists...It shows how inner connected the music industry really is...Would have really blown my mind had our artist chosen to perform that very same song. I might have taken it as a sign, being an "angelic" song soliloquy and all. It was probably best he didn't cause we barely had time to fit his strongest material into the stage time alloted.
-Nick Danger
Over many years of working in and around music I've discovered one truth and that is self evident to the industry. That is that musicians and other showbiz people are basically like everyone else. Some are enjoyable folks and fun to be around and some...well they aren't so fun to be around. They have families and bills and egos and addictions...
Back in the 80's I was on staff at a morning television show in Hollywood. Sonny Bono was on the show that day and I had been sitting outside when he left the studio. I shared a pristine copy of his solo album which suffered from poor sales mainly because it was supposed to be a 60's drug induced trip only Sonny didn't take drugs so the musical images didn't quite gel. Sonny signed my album and we talked for a while. He joked that I had one of the only copies...At the time Sonny had gone into politics but he still held a passion for music. When I asked what he'd been up to musically you could see the sparkle in his eyes. They lit up as he described a home studio he was building. He'd been writing songs as well. As a talented Producer and song-writer he'd guided Sonny & Cher in the studio in the early days and Produced some of their hits that still stand-up today though Sonny never received the accolades he deserved from the industry for all his achievements. We exchanged information and I offered to help out with his new studio before we parted...Shortly thereafter Sonny Bono was killed in a tragic skiing accident.
Angel of the Morning
A little over a year ago I met singer songwriter named Chip Taylor following a show at McCabes in Los Angeles. Chip is most often referred to as the guy who wrote "Wild Thing" which in and of itself is quite an accomplishment but he's actually written quite a few other hit songs for quite a few artists as well as having nurtured a solo career himself over the years. Recently, after being ejected from all the major casinos in Atlantic City, because he won too often, Chip came back to music following a several year hiatus. I caught up with him again recently at another show, where he included another hit he'd written; "Angel of the Morning" in the set. Originally a hit for Merilee Rush in the 60's, Juice Newton later charted with her cross-over version in the 70's and artist Shaggy hit the charts with a club version in the early 80's.
A few months ago Fires of August country artist Gary Lee Michael played Cricket Arena in Charlotte North Carolina opening for Juice Newton. It was the first show in 17 years for the former Billboard and Cashbox charting country artist. Gary appeared with an 8 piece band, holding the hometown audience in his hand throughout his set. I couldn't help feeling a strange connection having met the composer of "Angel of the Morning" and then seeing it performed by one of the charting artists...It shows how inner connected the music industry really is...Would have really blown my mind had our artist chosen to perform that very same song. I might have taken it as a sign, being an "angelic" song soliloquy and all. It was probably best he didn't cause we barely had time to fit his strongest material into the stage time alloted.
-Nick Danger
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