I bought my first real six string, I got it at the five and dime, played it till my fingers bled, was the summer of 69. Yes, it was a used Sears Silvertone guitar and I wish I still owned it.

I spent most all of the 70's playing teen towns, high school dances and mixers, then the 80's came along and I put together the rock band FRENZY with my brother Jim. We toured the mid-west playing up to 6 shows a week, we played every small town from Russellville, Arkansas to Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

The 80's were a wild decade, way too much partying, they tell me I had a good time, I frankly don't remember much of it!!! With the 90's came a transition period where I actually spent several years in a country band, what the hell was I thinking!!!!

I feel totally at home with the line-up in the present BLIND DATE, they are total pros and I have the utmost respect for each of them. My musical philosophy: approach every show with the thought, give 100% and play each show like it's your last. ROCK ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I started taking guitar lessons when I was 8 years old. I learned the basic chords and how to read music and how to play the songs the teacher wanted me to play. This gave me a good start, but I didn’t really start to love it until I quit the lessons and started to play for ME. I was in all the garage bands as a kid and played in a lot of bars before I was old enough to get in the front door. In college I formed the Annie Goglin Band and we played throughout central Missouri.

After graduation it was time to get a real job, get married and raise a family, so I took a nice long break just playing in church bands and occasionally for different bands as a fill-in. My real job eventually took me to Atlanta. By then my kids were old enough to drive themselves where they needed to be and I was ready to play seriously again. I got into Bonehead, a classic rock band that played constantly in and around Atlanta for about 6 years. The band was good, but Atlanta was not the place for me. I wanted to get back to my family in the Midwest so I took a job that allowed me to live in Baldwin City, KS.

After a couple years off it was time to find another band. Playing in Blind Date is the perfect fit for me. Great musicians as well as great guys playing the music I love and getting paid to drink a few beers! I love this job!!

I first became a rock fan in Detroit, seeing high energy local acts such as the MC5, Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes.  My big claim to fame was opening for the Bob Seger System at a roller rink.  That band was called Apple Core until we received a cease and desist letter from Apple Records.  To make sure we were not misappropriating any names, the band was renamed The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  From that auspicious start, I went on to tour the Ramada Inn circuit along the Ohio Turnpike in a Top 40 band called the Crystal Pistol Band, which played enduring classics like the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

After taking time off to have a career and a failed marriage, I played in Kansas City and Lawrence with the Kawdaddies and the Last Call Band.  I love playing in Blind Date because of the combination of musical talent and positive energy.  The fun of Blind Date's rock and roll compensates to some degree for the absence of sex and drugs.

Some of my favorite bands/musicians are Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Tool, the Police, Rage Against the Machine, and Steely Dan.  Favorite drummers include Mitch Mitchell, Keith Moon, Vinnie Colaiuta, Stewart Copeland, Kenny Aronoff, and that guy who was able to stay awake during the recording of the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

When I reached the sixth grade, I had been playing the violin for two years and I wanted a change. I loved drums and I talked my parents into buying me a snare drum. But when I approached Mr. Roberts, the music teacher at Welborn grade school, about taking up percussion, he told me he had other plans for me. He convinced my parents to convince me to take up the upright bass. I continued to play the upright bass throughout the rest of my school years.

In high school I met Darryl, and taking up the electric bass, joined the group "The Affair" which later became known as "Expressway". We played many parties and clubs through out the 70s, in and around KCK, including Teen Town at Arrowhead and Coronado middle schools.

Later, I spent several years recording music with another friend. Then I took a break from music during the late 80s and 90s, only playing at home for my own pleasure. Lately I have played with several bands including: S.C.L., Soul Grave and Identity Crisis.

I was inspired by Paul McCartney, who showed the world that playing bass was cool, by Mel Schacher of Grand Funk, who inspired me to make the bass my life-long instrument of choice, and Sting of The Police, who taught me the notes you don’t play are as important as the ones you do play.

Past Members

Mike