Mike Farris (musician)

Mike Farris (b. ca. 1968) is an winning American musician. He was the founder and lead singer of Nashville, Tennessee group Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies, but has been a solo act since 2001. He has put out three studio releases as well as a one live record as Mike Farris and the Roseland Rhythm Revue, as well as a charity EP as Mike Farris and the Cumberland Saints. His music is diverse but tends to be rooted in early American gospel and blues.

Biography

Farris's parents divorced when he was eleven years old; he began using drugs and alcohol from an early age, and almost died from an overdose before he was 21 years old.^[1] He recovered and went on to form the group Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies in 1990; they released three major-label albums and had sustained success on the U.S. rock charts in the 1990s. After their breakup, Farris sang with SCW, Peaceful Knievel and for a time fronted Double Trouble, the backing band for Stevie Ray Vaughan. Farris became a practicing Christian and rejected drugs and alcohol, and released his first solo album in 2002. 2007 saw him release his second solo effort, the strongly Southern-influenced Salvation in Lights, on INO/Columbia Records.^[2][3][4] Farris played SXSW and Creation Festival later in 2008.^[5] The live “Sunday Night Shout!” was recorded live at the Station Inn in Nashville, Tennessee, on October 12, 2008, but was a digital only release. On April 14, 2009, Farris released SHOUT! Live, as Mike Farris & the Roseland Rhythm Revue, featuring the McCrary Sisters that was recorded over four nights at his Station Inn residency.

In May 2010, after the devastating floods of Middle Tennessee, Mike gathered up some "A" list Nashville musicians to record a charity EP entitled The Night the Cumberland Came Alive. Recorded in six hours at the historic Downtown Presbyterian Church the six song EP consisted of music inspired by the early jug bands and pre-war era of roots gospel, blues and country. Dubbed Mike Farris and the Cumberland Saints, proceeds of the project were donated to benefit the victims of the flood via the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. The Cumberland Saints line up featured: Sam Bush, Ketch Secor and Gill Landry from Old Crow Medicine Show, Byron House, Kenny Vaughan along with members of the Roseland Rhythm Revue and the McCrary Sisters.

The end of 2010 saw Farris begin recording of his follow-up to Salvation in Lights with Kevin McKendree and other members of Delbert McClinton's band.

In 2012, Farris began a fundraising campaign titled, "Mike Farris to Complete & Release New Album," on the crowd funding website kickstarter.com. The goal was to raise $10,000.00 (US) to finish recording, editing and marketing a project already in progress. By the end of the campaign in July of that year, Farris had raised a total of $27,738 with 233 individuals backing the project.^[6] Pledge amounts ranged from $1 to $5,500. Pledge rewards included advance copies of the album, stickers, live performances and wake-up calls from Farris himself.

On 8 February 2015, Mike won the inaugural Grammy Award for Best Roots Gospel Album for Shine For All the People.

Discography

• Goodnight Sun (Mean It!, 2002)
• Salvation in Lights (INO Records, 2007)
• Sunday Night Shout! (INO Records, 2008)
• Shout! Live (INO Records, 2008)
• The Night the Cumberland Came Alive (eOne Entertainment, 2010)
• Shine For All The People (Compass Records, 2014)

Awards

• 2008 Americana Music Award for new and emerging artist
• 2010 GMA Dove Award for Traditional Gospel Album of the Year for SHOUT! Live
• 2015 Grammy Award for Best Roots Gospel Album for Shine For All the People

References