The Real Memphis Mike (don't settle for imitations)

  Christmastime. I think about the words we repeat so easily. Peace on earth. Goodwill to all. They sound right in candlelight. They belong to the season. Still, I wonder what they demand once the music fades. We gather. We tell the old stories. We laugh at remembered moments. There is holiness here — love shared across a table, warmth passed hand to hand. And still, someone is missing. Each year, more chairs sit empty. Some belong to the dead. Others to the living — the sick, the tired, the forgotten. Those who move more slowly now. Those whose phones no longer ring. Those for whom the season brings only silence. I think of them when I hear the carols. How joy can wound when you’re alone. How peace can sound like a promise never meant for you. The Christmas story is not one of ease. It begins in need. A child born into uncertainty. Doors closed. Light arriving anyway — first to those keeping watch in the dark. If peace on earth means anything, it lives there. In the hard places. I...

 Some days I really miss being in a band. There's nothing like making music with a group of people, all on the same page, bringing their own uniqueness to the mix. But here's the problem. No one seems to want to put in the effort these days. The last two times I tried starting a new band, I provided the other musicians with a set list - you know, to get the ball rolling. The songs weren't difficult in any way. All I asked was that they learn the songs. I gave them the keys the songs are in and all but taught them the arrangement. Rehearsal time came...and not a one of them learned the songs. They just figured they'd learn it at rehearsal. That is not what rehearsal is. According to the Oxford dictionary, the definition of rehearsal is " a practice or trial performance of a play or other work for later public performance. " This indicates knowing what you're expected to do prior to rehearsal. An actor, in preparation for a production of Hamlet or Death of a...

 If you want to get good at anything, repetition becomes part of your life. You practice until you’re satisfied. Musicians live this twice over — not just in rehearsing, but in where they perform. When an artist plays a venue for the first time, the goal is always to be invited back — a repeat performance. From bar bands to The Rolling Stones, the same principle applies - go where you’re wanted. In show business, as in any business, that means one thing — money. From startup costs to operating costs to nightly take, it’s always about the bottom line. A venue will rebook an act if that act helps keep the lights on (and hopefully generates a profit!). A packed room doesn’t guarantee profit — I’ve seen standing-room-only crowds drinking water or sneaking in their own booze. That kills both the venue and the act. Musicians often don’t understand why they’re not asked back after a packed night. Simple answer: they didn’t generate enough income. A working musician’s survival depends on m...

 My opinions on music are pretty well known. I'm humbled that there are others, who I believe are far more qualified, value my opinions. That said, allow me to share a bit of my scribbling about singing.  A dear friend, who is not only an amazing singer, but a leading academic authority on music and folklore, recently celebrated a birthday. I wrote this for her, and I'm sure she won't mind me sharing.  Music speaks — yet the human voice is its beating heart. No crafted string nor tempered brass can reach where breath dares go.  The voice alone carries the warmth of blood, the ache of memory, the shiver of the living.  In a single note, it can reveal all that words conceal — desire, sorrow, forgiveness, the quiet confession of being. One need not understand the tongue to understand the truth. A cry of joy, a whisper of despair — both are fluent in the oldest language known to humankind.  For what is song but the pulse of emotion given shape?  What are l...

“The real Ed Gein was a monster. Netflix ’s version is just a model with a bad accent.”   Just finished watching the new Netflix mess of a “story” about Ed Gein. There’s eight hours I’ll never get back. Netflix, as usual, is in the business of entertainment for profit. That means serving the widest possible audience—translation: the lowest common denominator . The real story of Ed Gein is horrifying, grotesque, and steeped in madness that even Poe or Lovecraft couldn’t dream up. What we get instead is a romanticized fever dream that tries to make America’s most infamous ghoul into a misunderstood heartthrob.  Casting Crimes Let’s start with the first lie: Charlie Hunnam . Ed Gein was about 5'7", homely, and about as hygienic as a compost pile. Hunnam is six feet tall, handsome, and glowing with protein powder. The tone is set before the first line of dialogue — it’s a lie before it even begins. Then comes the voice. Gein’s real voice (and yes, there are recording...

 Over the past 6-12 months, I've had a number of conversations with people regarding " artificial intelligence " ( AI ). Most people are afraid of it, for the same reasons they fear anything - lack of knowledge of a particular subject. Rather than educate themselves on the facts, most people go with whatever media, friends, neighbors, etc. tell them.  "X" is bad! It's evil! It's unnatural! More often than not, a little bit of education leads to the realization that "X" is not bad/evil/unnatural/scary. History shows that once upon a time women were property, people of African descent were only 1/3 of a human, homosexuals are out to get your kids, etc. The facts show that none of this is true. Yet people tend to listen to gossip quicker than actual reality.  But what about this 'AI'? It's man-made. Corporations are fighting for control of it. Of course they are! It has amazing profit potential for capitalists. Remember, corporations u...

Опитвал съм се да обясня това на моите български приятели и преди - но езиковите ми умения са недостатъчни. Написах това на родния си език, след което се опитах да го преведа, доколкото мога. Надявам се, че това обяснява неизречената разлика между американците и повечето други. - ММ Чудно ли е, че ти и аз сме различни? Ти наследяваш митове, издълбани дълбоко в камъка, предавани от ръка на ръка, от поколение на поколение. Аз наследявам реклами, излъчвани един сезон, забравени в следващия. Ти носиш легенди в кръвта си, шепнени нощем от баби, които познават тежестта на вековете. Аз нося лозунги, цвърчащи от пластмасови талисмани, изпяти от актьори, които не са могли да си намерят работа никъде другаде. Ти проследяваш родословието си като река, чийто извор се губи в планините, течаща все напред. Аз проследявам моя като дъжд по напукан асфалт - кратък, без посока, скоро погълнат от улука. Ти стоиш пред крепости и храмове, паметници, които отказват да се поддадат на времето. А аз стоя пред р...

 I could’ve sworn I wrote about this before, but maybe not — so here goes. Back in the early ’90s, a friend and I used to celebrate our birthdays together. We were bandmates, our big days were only four days apart, and odds were good we already had a gig that night. So, we just tacked on the party. One year the show was in Pittsburgh’s Southside — Anthony’s or Fat City, most likely. Parking on Carson Street is legendarily bad, so I’d long since learned to get there early. I usually grabbed dinner at the City Grill, where a couple of friends worked. Their grilled chicken sandwich was the stuff of legend. That night, waiting for my food, I spotted a familiar face at a nearby table. Not just familiar — legendary. Fred Rogers, out to dinner with his wife. If you grew up in America anytime in the last 60 years, you know who Mr. Rogers was. For anyone who doesn’t: he hosted Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood , a children’s show on public television that became a cultural touchstone. Say, “It’s ...

The time has come. We the people have our greatest decision to make. Is our country and its Constitution worth fighting for? Our military is being sent to our cities. Why isn't the question. Too many fall for the lies and distractions. Our military is being made to take aim at and, at the very least, intimidate the people it exists to defend. The use of the U.S. military on U.S. soil is legal only under specific and limited circumstances, as it is heavily restricted by the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878. The current administration is trying to defy this. The comedians and their brands of social commentary are being silenced. Were it only a matter of employer vs. employee - matters of consequence of action in a business setting - it would be little more than a blip in the entertainment news. But this is not the case. The federal government made good on its threats to silence them. This in unconstitutional. Some will say the cause has more to do with impending mergers and business de...

 Never forget. 9/11 was a horrible day. Worst part about it was the lies, the spin. In our lifetimes, most of us will never know the truth about those. The number of lives lost kept going up, until it started going down. That one was easy. The US couldn't telegraph just how bad the damage was. Rather than report the facts, it became about spin.  Never forget. We hear that every year. Never forget. Anyone who lived through that day is not going to forget. We don't need a reminder. So why the constant, annual nudge? To make sure everyone remembers the spin, the lies. We're supposed to remember the official story. I remember the truth like it happened yesterday. I don't need a reminder. Social media is despicable regarding 9/11. This year (24 years later) I started seeing posts suggesting we Americans remember 9/11 AND to be the people we were on 9/12 . Really? That's fucked up. The people of 9/12 were terrified. No one went to work (except for a handful of us). Sure, ...

 Charlie Kirk is dead. Shot, we can presume, for his radical, divisive, yet FREE, speech. A man, a husband, is dead. Children will spend their first night without a father. I will agree with many who have said "violence is never the answer"...except, this is America. Violence has a long history of being the answer here. If you truly believe that violence is never the answer, why do you tolerate it? You tolerate it every day. We allow the media to glorify it. Take a look at what you post online, in your social media; your memes and such. A lot of violence there in many forms. Violence isn't merely physical. It's often verbal, written, implied. Our so-called POTUS glorifies violence until he deems certain singular events as not worthy of violence. (he's trying to play to the room, it's that simple) When my wife told me Kirk had been shot, I recognized the name - but couldn't put a face to him. I Googled him and recognized him immediately. Just another mouthy...

1979 – 1982: Garage Bands & Punk House Parties * Played anywhere that had an electrical outlet and a six-pack. * Frequently paid in beer, pizza, and the occasional “borrowed” ashtray. * Skills learned: tuning by ear (sort of), surviving feedback, and playing three chords with confidence. 1982 – 1990: The Swingin’ Cadillacs Hired as a guitarist. Demoted/promoted to bass player after two weeks because:   1. I owned a bass.   2. No one else did. Played biker bars, small-town festivals, and dives that could double as crime scenes. Accidentally became a “working bassist” — basically the cockroach of the music world: can survive anywhere. 1984 – 1987: Weddings, Top 40 Bands, Etc. Wore matching tuxedos and smiled through “Celebration” by Kool & the Gang. Learned the phrase: “Play Mustang Sally or we riot.” 1986 – 1987: Rattlesnake Shake (a.k.a. The Starlings) * Blues band in a town that didn’t know what to make of it. * Played with Robbie Wells (formerly of Rachel Sweet's ban...

 "Her name was Virginia - she never saw the world." "Virginia" wasn't just a song I wrote. She was a unique human being. For legal and ethical reasons, I'm reticent to go into too much detail, suffice to say that she was a resident in a facility I used to work at. For those unaware, I spent the better part of 30 years working with adults with developmental and chronic mental health issues. I met Virginia in 2010, and I can tell you this: our first meeting was legendary (at least to me).  I had just accepted the position as the overnight manager in a small section of a larger facility. The company I worked for leased out a 12-bed section for our mostly older, more chronic clients. Most lived with schizophrenia, and/or other chronic mental illness. Our folks lived alongside 100 or so other residents, most with some level of chronic illness. Without giving away too much information, the place was sad and, in some ways, absolutely disgusting. Cleanliness was at ...

 Last weekend pretty much ruined a solid 10 month run of peace and quiet for me. I'd stopped performing. What I thought was my last show was originally supposed to be the first with a new band. File it under SHIT HAPPENS. I was admittedly less than thrilled with the pace of the new band's progress. A couple dozen rehearsals (and one recording session) and we barely had 15 songs. But it was enough for one good set. I had a show booked. It was a low key event, no pressure...just enough to get us up and running. The evening before the show, the drummer came down with COVID. And the bass player was fighting a stomach bug. They bailed.  I'm not one to cancel a show if I don't absolutely have to*. I tried to round up a rhythm section (last minute) but no one was available. So it became a solo show. I used to do a lot of these, but it had been years since the last time. I made it happen. People claimed to enjoy it. I sat my big ol' posterior on a chair and cut loose on old...

 I was listening to an interview with Rodney Crowell the other night. He was saying something about a book he was part of, where different songwriters revisited some of their songs as prose rather than song lyrics. I liked the idea, so I thought I'd try a few as short stories. Where possible, I've added links to the actual song.  *** DIAMONDS & CADILLACS Years ago, a music publisher friend told me that my song "Diamonds & Cadillacs" would be what I'm remembered for. Quite a compliment coming from him, especially seeing how it was of zero financial benefit to him. I had to agree, in certain circles it's my best known and best loved song. Lots of the old rockabilly guys loved it. Sleepy La Beef, Alan Leatherwood, Charlie Feathers (who I originally had in mind to sing it), Mack Self (who declared it to be REAL ROCKABILLY!), and Hayden Thompson (who recorded a version for Blue Light Records) all loved it. It's one of those songs that just happened. I w...