My Latest Crazy Idea

 Never one to accept boredom as part of my reality, I've come up with yet another crazy idea to fill my time and do something useful and productive.

I'm currently writing up plans for a series of music workshops, aimed at overseas universities, teaching the history of American music, from the perspective of a working musician. Starting with Stephen Foster's pre–Civil War compositions to James Blands' "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane" to the influence of the blues on 20th century American music and its global influence. 

I guess that if I want to do this, I should probably have some sort of credentials, but I'm just a guitar thumper who has spent most of his life in bars and nightclubs, and the occasional journey to recording studios. That said, I look pretty good on paper!

Michael C Metzger, aka Memphis Mike

Multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, performer, session musician, member of the de facto Rockabilly Hall of Fame house band (Jackson, TN 2000-2002), independent journalist/reviewer, blogger, author, independent filmmaker.

Metzger, in a career spanning 40+ years, has performed in excess of 5000 shows in North America, UK, Europe, and Australia, where he performed to crowds of up to 60,000 people. He has recorded six albums with his own band (Memphis Mike & The Legendary Tremblers) as well as The Rowdy Bovines, Losers After Midnight, AJ & The Two Timers, Alan Leatherwood, Stag Preston, and Christina Louise (Australia). He as also recorded two solo albums. One, a disc of acoustic country blues ("Done Gone Home") was recorded to benefit one of his favorite charities. It was recorded in memory of his friend, the late Mark J Miller, a journalist and jazz guitarist. Metzger has also appeared on a number of Various Artist compilations in the US and Europe.

In addition, he has worked with such artists as Sleepy La Beef, Wanda Jackson, Paul Burlison, Fiona Boyes (Australia), Crippled Bobby Hawkins, Danny Kay & The Nightlifers, Leslee "Bird" Anderson, Sonny Burgess, Big Al Dowling, and many more.

Metzger wrote his column "Notes From Memphis" for the Australian magazine Big Beat of the 50s for a number of years. He also wrote reviews for a number of publications, including Black Cat Rockabilly Europe (NL)

Metzger has also published an audiobook (STORY TIME WITH MEMPHIS MIKE) and released two independent films (CAN WE GET A HELL YEAH? - A CONCERT FILM and SWINGIN' CADDILACS AT JOE'S BARN) with a third currently under production. 

In 2002, Metzger was briefly declared dead after a sudden health emergency in Nashville, TN. He was revived in the emergency room but spent a week in a coma. This led him to title his next release "Back From The Dead". He has also survived two bouts of cancer, and in 2021 he suffered two strokes. Refusing to live without music, he forced himself to relearn playing guitar and within two months wrote/recorded/released a new song and music video "Hard To Kill". He has since recorded the album "Til Dust" and has also resumed performing. 

Майкъл Мецгер, известен още като Мемфис Майк

Мултиинструменталист, текстописец, продуцент, изпълнител, сесиен музикант, член на де факто хаус бандата в Залата на славата на Рокабили (Джаксън, TN 2000-2002), независим журналист/рецензент, блогър, автор, независим режисьор.

Metzger, в кариера, обхващаща над 40 години, е изнесъл над 5000 концерта в Северна Америка, Обединеното кралство, Европа и Австралия, където е свирил пред тълпи от до 60 000 души. Той е записал шест албума със собствената си група (Memphis Mike & The Legendary Tremblers), както и с The Rowdy Bovines, Losers After Midnight, AJ & The Two Timers, Alan Leatherwood, Stag Preston и Christina Louise (Австралия).Освен това записва два солови албума. Първият, диск с акустичен кънтри блус ("Done Gone Home") е записан в полза на една от любимите му благотворителни организации. Той е записан в памет на неговия приятел, покойния Марк Джей Милър, журналист и джаз китарист. Metzger също участва в редица компилации на Various Artist в САЩ и Европа.

Освен това той е работил с артисти като Sleepy La Beef, Wanda Jackson, Paul Burlison, Fiona Boyes (Австралия), Crippled Bobby Hawkins, Danny Kay & The Nightlifers, Leslee "Bird" Anderson, Sonny Burgess, Big Al Dowling и много повече.

Мецгер пише своята колона „Бележки от Мемфис“ за австралийското списание Big Beat от 50-те години на миналия век. Той също пише рецензии за редица публикации, включително Black Cat Rockabilly Europe (NL)

Metzger също така публикува аудиокнига (STORY TIME WITH MEMPHIS MIKE) и издаде два независими филма (CAN WE GET A HELL YEAH? - КОНЦЕРТЕН ФИЛМ и SWINGIN' CADDILACS AT JOE'S BARN), като третият в момента е в процес на производство.

През 2002 г. Мецгер за кратко е обявен за мъртъв след внезапна здравна спешност в Нешвил, Тенеси. Той беше съживен в спешното отделение, но прекара седмица в кома. Това го накара да озаглави следващото си издание "Back From The Dead". Той също така е преживял два пристъпа на рак, а през 2021 г. е претърпял два инсулта/мозъчно-съдови инциденти. Отказвайки да живее без музика, той се принуди да се научи отново да свири на китара и в рамките на два месеца написа/записа/издаде нова песен и видеоклип „Hard To Kill”. Оттогава той записа албума "Til Dust" и също поднови концертите.

マイケル・C・メッツガー、別名メンフィス・マイク

マルチ楽器奏者、ソングライター、プロデューサー、パフォーマー、セッション ミュージシャン、事実上のロカビリー ホール オブ フェーム ハウス バンド (ジャクソン、テネシー州 2000-2002) のメンバー、独立したジャーナリスト/レビュアー、ブロガー、作家、独立した映画製作者。

メッツガーは 40 年以上のキャリアを持ち、北米、英国、ヨーロッパ、オーストラリアで 5,000 回以上のショーを行い、最大 60,000 人の観客の前で演奏しました。彼は自身のバンド (Memphis Mike & The Legendary Tremblers) のほか、The Rowdy Bovines、Losers After Midnight、AJ & The Two Timers、Alan Leatherwood、Stag Preston、Christina Louise (オーストラリア) で 6 枚のアルバムを録音しています。彼はまた、2枚のソロアルバムを録音しました。 1 つは、アコースティック カントリー ブルース (「Done Gone Home」) のディスクで、彼のお気に入りの慈善団体の 1 つに寄付するために録音されました。ジャーナリストでありジャズギタリストでもある彼の友人、故マーク・J・ミラーを偲んで録音された。 Metzger はまた、米国とヨーロッパで多数の様々なアーティストのコンピレーションにも出演しています。

さらに、スリーピー・ラ・ビーフ、ワンダ・ジャクソン、ポール・バーリソン、フィオナ・ボーイズ（オーストラリア）、クリップルド・ボビー・ホーキンス、ダニー・ケイ＆ザ・ナイトライフズ、レスリー・"バード"・アンダーソン、ソニー・バージェス、ビッグ・アル・ダウリングなどのアーティストと仕事をしてきた。もっとたくさん。

メッツガーは、50 年代のオーストラリアの雑誌ビッグ ビートに何年もの間、コラム「メンフィスからのメモ」を書きました。また、Black Cat Rockabilly Europe (NL) など、多くの出版物にレビューを書いています。

Metzger はまた、オーディオブック (STORY TIME WITH MEMPHIS MIKE) を発行し、2 つの独立した映画 (CAN WE GET A HELL YEAH? - A CONCERT FILM と SWINGIN' CADDILACS AT JOE'S BARN) をリリースし、3 つ目は現在制作中です。

2002年、テネシー州ナッシュビルで突然の健康上の緊急事態が発生した後、メッツガーは一時的に死亡したと宣言されました.彼は緊急治療室で蘇生しましたが、昏睡状態で1週間過ごしました。これにより、彼は次のリリースのタイトルを「Back From The Dead」にしました。彼はまた、2回の癌を克服し、2021年には2回の脳卒中を起こしました.音楽なしで生きることを拒否した彼は、ギターの演奏を再学習することを余儀なくされ、2か月以内に新しい曲とミュージックビデオ「Hard To Kill」を作成/録音/リリースしました.それ以来、彼はアルバム「Til Dust」を録音し、演奏も再開しています。