Mickey Richard

The Basics:

A singer/songwriter/guitarist, Bluesician Mickey Richard - the Plato of "Philos-o-Pop" - has been performing his "philosophical, semi-fictional and frequently humorous observations with a jazzy-bluesy-rootsy vibe and pop sensibilities" around Ann Arbor, Michigan since moving back to the area in 2002, after spending nearly a quarter century on the West Coast. He hosted a monthly open mic at Oz's Music in Ann Arbor from 2004-2007. In June 2007, he released his first CD "Sliver Or Slice". He's also known as Mickey Richard-Guitar Healer, and counts a few famous guitarists among his satisfied clientele.

Miracle Man?

In 1988, at the age of 35, Mickey was diagnosed with Hairy Cell Leukemia, a rare form of leukemia, and told he might live another five years. He volunteered to undergo a very experimental chemotherapy trial at Scripps Clinic in San Diego. Five doctors told him not to. He told the five doctors where they could stick their digital thermometers. In 1989, he was the eighth person (and the youngest!) in the world to receive, what is now the drug of choice for treatment of Hairy Cell Leukemia, 2-Chlorodeoxyadenosine, and was part of a case study published in The New England Journal of Medicine (Lawrence Piro, et al). He's still here. But, it took fifteen more years (during which he's faced a struggle with chronic, sometimes deep depression, an acrimonious divorce, another round of chemo, and a fall off a ladder that shattered his left wrist), to convince him that he should be focusing on music-related activities to earn a living. He also drinks real milk. That's milk, straight from the cow, baby, like nature intended. Moo.

Mickey on his voice:

"In the 8th grade, I tried out for the choir. At the audition, I was very nervous and tense, causing my vocal cords to tighten. I could barely squeak out a note. A frustrated alcoholic music teacher, who was holding the auditions, told me to never sing again. I shared this information with someone close to me, who only reinforced the drunken teacher's opinion. After many years, I grew weary of being told not to sing, or that I couldn't sing. Since I started whistling musically before I could talk, and I taught myself to play the guitar by ear, I reasoned that I could sing as well, despite what the negative people in my life told me. So, in 1997 (31 years after that choir audition), I started singing. I haven't looked back."

Influences:

Elvis Chuck Berry Johnny Cash Dion Del Shannon Duane Eddy The Ventures The Beatles Jimi Hendrix John Lennon Peter Green Joe Summers George Harrison Eric Clapton Mike Bloomfield Frank Zappa Muddy Waters George Bedard Robbie Robertson Roy Buchanan Jeff Beck Roy Orbison Elvin Bishop Freddy King T-Bone Walker Neil Young Bob Dylan Tom Petty Arlo Guthrie Pete Seeger Django Reinhardt Robin Trower Jesse Colin Young John Lee Hooker Robbie Robertson Buddy Guy & many more.