Michael Grimm Brings Mississippi Music to Vegas
Singer, Songwriter Mixes Blues, Soul, Southern Rock Into his Style
Nov 8, 2009
Music is as much a part of the Mississippi mud as the earth itself and sooner or later Michael Grimm was bound to get a little on his boots. It soaked through to his very soul, tapping into reservoir of natural talent for playing guitar, singing and writing songs. It probably helped having a grandmother who played a little piano.
"That's a good way to put it," Grimm said. "It was excessive, listening to her playing in church, which was my inspiration. She surprised me out of nowhere with her talent. I sat down and just started playing. I Iearned hymns so I could just hang with her, 'Jesus Loves Me,' 'Amazing Grace,' and 'How Great Thou Art.'
Grimm Was Inspired By a Variety of Music
"I listened to a lot of country music. Being raised by my grandparents, we listened to the old-fashioned country music by people like Hank Snow, Ernest Tubb, and Ray Price. The blues came along when I started listening to Travis Tritt. He's such a soulful country singer, different from the rest and I liked the blues and southern rock which was out of the realm of traditional country. I fell in love with that sound and started my own band at 15, trying to sing soulful country. When I was 18 years old, I heard Aretha Franklin and I said, 'that's what I want to do.' I could do it because I'd gone through a little heartbreak from puppy love relationships at that age. I discovered blues and soul at that time. If I hadn't been hurt, I couldn't have pulled it off. Blues is about losing hope and the blues get better as you lose hope. It's about someone whose coming from a personal and dark place."
Grimm Taught Himself Play Guitar While Writing Songs
"I started writing at 15. I was going in and out of Nashville and had the opportunity to write with some great writers - it was like boot camp for writing. Personally, I like the song to create itself. I like to sit down and see what starts coming out, where it takes me melodically and lyrically - and it can go any anywhere, any direction," he said.
His his first hit was "John Wayne and Jesus," at age 15. The next year, Grimm won the 1999 Christian Country Music Association's Star of Tomorrow Award.
"That's a wonderful highlight still to this day," he said. "I look back and smile. It was a wonderful time, a little moment. It's just an award, but it was great to be nominated and to win. I gave the award to my grandmother."
No Pigeonholes for Grimm
"My music is about everything I've been through and there's enough 'stuff' I can go anywhere-blues, soul, country - that's my struggle. It's why I haven't gotten further in the music business. I can't swallow a lot of stuff and bend to do it.
"Actually I don't know where I fit in. I have a lot of parts that include southern rock, blues, soul, country - I grew up in the south and my work leans toward all those genres. People like to label me because they don't know where to put me."
Grimm's voice is distinctive, passionate and real, kind of like a grizzled old blues man singing with every fiber of his being.
"That comes from years of smoking and singing in bars-and maybe a little bit of the drink-but not a lot in case my grandmother reads this."
He's opened for B.B. King, The Doobie Brothers, and Heart. He currently performs with his 12-piece band at Ovation Showroom at Green Valley Ranch Resort in Las Vegas.
Grimm released his second CD, I Am Michael Grimm in July.
"July 4 was the release date, declaring the independence of Michael Grimm. I've signed contracts with people on other projects that didn't work or didn't happen. This is a real project. This is me, independent without anyone. I think about going the more commercial route, but I don't think I could do it. I think about being asked to sing songs I don't like. I think I would be sick to the stomach if I had to sing something like that forever."
For more about Grimm's music, visit: www.MichaelGrimmMusic.com.
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