Michael Hess

     I grew up in the childhood of the late 50's and 60's. AM radio and the Lawrence Welk Show was my only access for music. In the 70's, 8 track, cassette players,  and Vinyl recording were the big thing. 
After High School my good friend Scott Byers, introduced me to the Eagles, Dan Fogelberg, James Taylor, and Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young. He could play and perform them all to the “T”.   He was my inspiration to learn the guitar and start singing. 

    Learning and performing covers of these bands became my niche to escape from the stress of a hard week of work. Guitar isn't easy and neither is trying to sing and play at the same time. The ability to dig in learn and deliver the music was a  big challenge, but man did it sooth my soul.

 "Life is a journey of obstacles and opportunities.  You just have to work hard at getting through it all.  Trust your instincts and curiosity and follow it. "

   My instincts led me to 4 day weekends of music and libations.  It was called, “Hog Killing Weekend.”  Twice a year my friend Chris Quante would sponsor a 4 day shindig and invite all the musicians and songwriter  he had met  at live entertainment bars to come sit around a campfire and play.  With one stipulation noted up front, they have to come and play for free!!!
But, If you show up you'll have a blast playing in horse shoes, shooting skeet, and playing washer tournaments. You will even  win prizes.   Once the sun went down we would gather around the campfire and out came the whiskey, the guitars and the talent.   A lot of them would come with new original songs they had written. A few would come with songs about men obsessed to the core with killing hogs. That was the true beginning of putting pen to paper and the inspiration to write my own songs.
I was stricken to the core.   So here I am 35 years later still honing that elusive art called songwriting.  Every day I wake up and give it a go at a new one.  So if you’re into Americana, Gritty folk rock, Ballads and Blues your gonna love it...