“Listening to Don Middlebrook's Caribbean-tinged tropical rock leads easily to thoughts of ditching the job, shedding the work clothes and heading south to Key West. When you get there, you'll already be familiar with the surroundings, because Middlebrook writes about the people and places he has encountered while touring from his native Michigan to the Southernmost Point and everywhere in between. His road is paved with friendships, and if you meet him, you might wind up in a song, whether you're the woman firing up the bubbles in "Hot Tub Junkie'' or the Mount Dora business owners of Tiki Mon beachwear in "Light Up the Night.'' "I'm just a sponge. I love it. They're my songs,'' Middlebrook said of his friends and fans. "You can't even make this stuff up. They come to me, and I take notes.'' "It's amazing, I'm almost embarrassed. I thought it'd be a short deal, and here I am 55,'' he said of his career. "I'm lucky to still be doing what I love to do.''”

“Middlebrook releases his latest album, "Talespin," Sunday at Reno's East. He recorded the 14-track disc at L.A. Productions in Lansing with Ricky Nalett, and the set rings with high-energy, tropical-sounding rock that whisks the listener away to a warmer, more relaxing place. • Watch it: Watch Don Middlebrook's "April in the D" video via www.DonMiddlebrook.net. Every year, Fox Sports Detroit sponsors the "April in the D" song / video contest, and last year, Middlebrook's video was selected as one of 10 semi-finalists by a panel led by Kid Rock.”