From Kokomo, Indiana, Mike began playing guitar in 1977 at age 6. Mike grew up hearing his father’s soul-rock bands. He traveled with them and the Drifters in the mid- 1970’s throughout the southern States. With paper route money, Mike purchased his first electric guitar at age 10. His vocals and guitar are heavily blues and soul influenced. He began writing his own music at age 10. Mike’s style relies on emotion and expression, as do many soulful artists, but is surely not lacking in technical skills. Mike cites his father, “Big” Mike, Robert Cray, Tad Robinson, Howling Wolf, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Doyle Bramhall (1 and 2), Stevie Wonder, Al Green, Donny Hathaway Jimi Hendrix, Albert King and Collins….(get the picture?) as his mentors. Mike formed Steam Shovel in the summer of 1993 and was named “Best Blues Band in Indiana” in 2002! “Mike plays with that indefinable, yet very real, thing called soul, that thing about being real that one always knows when it’s there. Mike has that, in his vocals, in his original songs, and, most evidently, in his guitar!” Review of live show with Buddy Guy. 9-5-05. INDY. By G. Fish

Official site= Http://mikemilligan.homestead.com