MIke Dutton is an electric Blues-based guitarist residing in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region. A native of Alexandria, VA, he has been a sideman for numerous local and regional performers from D.C. to Baltimore, MD to Richmond, VA since the mid 1980s for both club and studio work. He's worked with artists such as Catfish Hodge, Richmond, VA's Li'l Ronnie & the Grand Dukes and Kurt Crandall & True Story, Washington, D.C.'s Flatfoot Sam & the Educated Fools, Big Boy Little Band and Janine Wilson Band and Baltimore's Glenn Moomau. Mike has also backed such nationally & internationally recognized artists as Mitch Kashmar, harmonica player for the legendary band WAR, West Coast harmonica player R.J. Mischo, Blues Music Award winner John Nemeth, and the late harmonica master Phil Wiggins, formerly of the piedmont blues duo Cephas & Wiggins.
Band credits include 19 years with the Catfish Hodge Band, 6 1/2 years with Richmond, VA's Li'l Ronnie Owens & the Grand Dukes, a 2 1/2 year stint with Kurt Crandall & True Story of Richmond, VA. Mike has also worked with the Rogue Johnsen Project featuring Rogue Johnsen on Hammond organ and piano, and veteran drummer Joe Wells. From 2015 -2022 he had also been performing with the Cosmic Cowboy/Texas influenced Country Rock band, The Snake Farmers. Recording credits include “Next!” (2026), “Home” (2024) and “20/20” (2021) by the Rogue Johnsen Project , “Communication" (2006) with Catfish Hodge , "Young & Evil" (2001) and "Do What'cah Do" (2005) with Li'l Ronnie & the Grand Dukes, "Grotto Says" (2001) by Steve Potter, "Maiden America" (1999) by The Deacons, and two offerings for the Hungry For Music label -- "No More Pretty Presents" from "A Holiday Feast: Vol. III" (1998) and "Viva Las Vegas" from "Night Of 100 Elvises" (1999) -- with Janine Wilson.
A few highlights of his career include twice working in studio with Texas Blues master Anson Funderburgh, jamming with members of the legendary Beach Boys (Mike Love, Al Jardine, and Bruce Johnston) as well as members of the big band Roomful of Blues. Mike has shared bills with the likes of Delbert McClinton, Johnny Winter, Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets, Bobby Radcliff, Jimmy Thackery, Carey Bell, Bobby Parker, Mem Shannon, Michael Burks, Walter Trout and many others.
As a member of the Grand Dukes, Dutton's talents helped the band win readers poll awards from Canada's "Real Blues" magazine in 2004 and an award for "Best Blues Artists" at the 5th Annual Virginia Music Awards. His songwriting collaboration with Ronnie Owens led to the Grand Dukes recording "Do What'cha Do" placing in Living Blues magazine's list of Top 100 Recordings for 2005 at #94 as well as reaching the #8 position on Canada's Real Blues magazine's top CDs of 2005.
Additionally, Mike was a 1996 WAMA (Washington Area Music Association) Wammie finalist for "Best Blues Instrumentalist" and was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame (www.blueshalloffame.com) as an artist representative of Northern Virginia on November 4, 2012.
