Mike Stinson
Encyclopedia
Career
A native of Virginia, Mike Stinson moved to Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 1991. Inspired by the country rock of Gram Parsons
Gram Parsons
Gram Parsons was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and pianist. Parsons is best known for his work within the country genre; he also mixed blues, folk, and rock to create what he called "Cosmic American Music"...
, as well as more traditional country artists such as Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
and George Jones
George Jones
George Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette....
, he began to write songs and eventually formed his own band.
Stinson released his debut album Jack of All Heartache in 2002. The album includes a sardonic ode to California entitled "Late Great Golden State." Dwight Yoakam
Dwight Yoakam
Dwight David Yoakam is an American singer-songwriter, actor and film director, most famous for his pioneering country music...
later covered the song on his album Population Me and released it as a single.
Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times wrote in 2003 that Stinson is "one of Los Angeles' best-kept musical secrets." In the 2004 edition of its annual Best of LA feature, Los Angeles magazine selected him as Best Country-Western Artist, adding that "Late Great Golden State" ought to be California's official anthem.
His song "Counting My Lucky Stars," from second album Last Fool at the Bar, was featured in a 2006 episode of the CBS series Cold Case entitled "The Red and the Blue."
Though he plays guitar in his own band, Stinson has worked as a drummer for other musicians, including Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
and Lucinda Williams
Lucinda Williams
Lucinda Williams is an American rock, folk, blues and country music singer and songwriter. She recorded her first albums in 1978 and 1980 in a traditional country and blues style and received very little attention from radio, the media, or the public. In 1988, she released her self-titled album,...
.
Stinson relocated to Houston, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in 2009. His most recent album, The Jukebox in Your Heart, was produced by Jesse Dayton
Jesse Dayton
Jesse Dayton is an Austin, Texas-based honky tonk and rockabilly artist best known for his guitar contributions to albums by country legends including Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson...
and recorded at Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
's Pedernales Studios in Austin. It includes a new version of "Late Great Golden State."
Discography
- Jack of All Heartache (2002)
- Last Fool at the Bar (2005)
- The Jukebox in Your Heart (2010)