Michael soon established himself as the finest guitarist ever to come out of Colorado. Before long, he was playing with such legends as Keith Emerson, of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Mick Fleetwood, a founding member of Fleetwood Mac, and Mitch Mitchell, the drummer who dept the beat for The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Michael has played blues, rock, country, funk and jazz in over seventy bands. He also formed several bands of his own which he used as vehicles for his original compositions. He opened for such rock luminaries as Johnny Winter, Edgar Winter, John Mellencamp, Huey Lewis, Robben Ford, John Mayall, Alice Cooper and Steve Morse, the multi-talented lead guitarist and founder of the Dixie Dregs and current guitarist with the revived giants of the revived seventies rock scene, Deep Purple.

 

Michael's gifts and his creativity have been recognized over and over. He was nominated as "Best Guitarist of the Year" at the prestigious Los Angeles Music Awards for his work on his first solo CD, "Dragonflyer." Which won Best Produced CD. Michael performed in the Tommy Bolin Tribute Concert and was named an Official Fender Endorsee by Fender Musical Instruments, Inc.

 

In 1996 Michael formed the band F-5 with former Joe Walsh keyboardist Tommy Stephenson and Peter Frampton's former bass player, Stan Sheldon. Their first CD, "Dodging the Dream Killers," produced by famed Santana drummer, Michael Shrieve, was nominated by Jazz Central Station as one of the top ten best jazz CDs of the year