At an early age, Mike would go with Dad to the Saturday afternoon "jams" occationally to a couple of watering holes in the boonies west of Chicago. This would prove to be a life long passion, starting at an early age. A family tradition, would be the sing-alongs at home. All the kids would sit around Dad, and sing oldtime songs, like "There was an old Lady" and "Shep". Dad had always been into the 40's - 60's country music, and after getting out of the Navy spent almost 2 years trying to break into the Nashville scene. He recorded some acetate record demos, but didn't have much luck. So off to California, the TV Electronics industry, and meeting Mom!
Growing up in the 60's in Chicago, the flood of music hitting the radio was incredible. Motown, the British invasion, country, the San Fransisco sound, and Jazz, all played a part in cutting Mike's ear for the future. At the age of 5, Mike showed a serious interest in music and guitar. So Dad started showing him the open chords, and strumming techniques. In the next few years, Mike burned through most of his Fathers' record collection!
And there was a 2 year stint at the viola!
The family moved around a little, after 10 years in Chicago, they went to Ottumwa Iowa, for not even a year, then back to Chicago, then to Del Rio Texas.
Jimi Hendrix had just released some of his first records, they were on the radio, and "boy, alot more fun than the Glen Cambell, Jim Reeves, and Hank Sr. stuff he was learning chords and songs from". Then this guy named Santana came out, and Wow!
Now, this is getting really exciting!
It was in Del Rio in 1969 that Mike had his first garage band. Drove the neighbors nuts!
In the next year and a half later, Chicago was home again. It was during this time that the Allman Bros. had tunes on the radio, and that was it! Dad had said that "if you really want to be a good, rounded out player, you better learn how to play lead guitar as well as rhythm". Mike picked up The Allman's "Fillmore East" and duped it onto a reel to reel, where it was listened to at nite while he slept, and played along with during the day. At that time Mike knew his destiny was to be music.
The Chicago area was ripe with players of all styles, Blues, Top-40 pop, Rock, Jazz and country. Mike played with guys that were into just about all of it. By the age of 16, he had been playing with dudes, in their 20's and 30's, and absorbing everything in the path!
Canvasback, a band that played around the Chicago area through most of the 70's, was a great party/bar band. Besides doing the Allmans' and "tons" of Grateful Dead, they also played Little Feat, Steely Dan, Marshall Tucker, Charlie Daniels, Outlaws, the list goes on. (We are looking for some old Canvasback photos with Mike and Jay Patterson, and will put them up on the page when we find some!)
Coyote was another fairly popular band that Mike played with in the late 70's. Basically, also a "Southern Rock Band".
Soon thereafter, the road called and Mike went. Top-40 pop - dance bands, Rock bands, Jazz, Blues, originals, Tuxedo gigs, house gigs, 38 states, a tour with the "Late Great Buddy Knox". Basically 20 years of payin' dues, learning his chemistry, having fun and sometimes not having fun.
The next several years were spent in house gigs in the midwest, with the occational tour. Wanting alittle more original sounds and new horizons, Mike headed for Austin,"The Promised Land". There in a short time, Mike joined "The Rolling Thunder Project", a band based out of the Santa Barbara area. There were investors, contacts, recordings, a trip to Brasil, and not enough professional guidance. It was a good learning experience, but a deadend.
Back to Austin, and a venture with Roy Hughes, Virtual Insomnia Productions was created. Mike and Roy cranked out originals, and did production for other bands. For almost a year these guys worked 40-50 hours a week on getting established, but the direction of the biz thinned out, so Mike left to pursue performing again.
Gilson Viator had been playing around Austin's 6th street, for several months and played songs that Mike knew well, Allmans, Hendrix, Clapton, Stevie, etc. So after an introduction, a jam was set up for the following Tuesday. That started a relationship that lasts to this day. They went through a number of bass/drums sections, Mike brought in Dennis Merritt on drums, (whom he had met through Pat Simpson) and things immediately smoothed out. Then Mike met "Big Dave" Touchton, (bassist supreme!) they talked over a period of a couple of weeks, and Mike invited Dave to come play,( tired of the musical chairs in the bass spot!) to find a wonderful match. A year later, Dennis had to move on in his Real Estate biz, not enough money from playing to sustain himself and get sleep too! Mike's Good Friend, Paul Ramsey had been back in town taking care of his Dad, ( the Famous Jones Ramsey, of Univ. of Texas Sports Info. fame) and wasn't playing much, being off the road the first time in 5 years. Mike had him come down to play, and he wound up staying. The band never sounded better. It blew peoples' minds, the feel, the energy, and playing the songs like they were their own.
This band wound up being a great cover band but didn't want to do any originals, so it looked like time to do something different. Maybe it was time to go back to Colorado once again. Three times a charm, back and forth to Colorado..........
Shortly after arriving to the Denver area, Mike met a guitarist that was planning to leave a band, and offered the gig. The band was the Red Rock Roosters, and Mike played with them throughout Colorado and Wyoming for a little over a year.
Now Mike plays around Denver with various bands and friends, as well as every few months goes down to Austin to play the clubs there with Gilson and other old friends. Finally with some time to record, he is working on his first CD, which is expected to be finished this summer.
back row:Brad , Lee , Dave
front row:Mike , John
Ron , Rex, Eddie , Mike , Tom(drums)
on MP3
www.mp3.com/Hawkehaven
