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Mike grew up in Tacoma, graduating from Stadium HS. He has played drums since the age of 16 (pearl-inlaid Slingerland) with his first paying gig a 3-piece country-western band in Puyallup paying $5 a night. Joining the Army out of high school, spending 22 years in the Army, Mike traveled around the world playing with local pick-up bands in Army Service Clubs. Aft er retiring from the Army, Mike began playing with American Music’s Weekend Warriors program playing gigs at the Central Tavern in Pioneer Square in Seattle. With renewed musical energy Mike sought out more permanent bands to play with starting with ‘Flashback’. Then Mike with, (then bass-playing) Dave Richardson, formed GoldRush as an oldies/classic pop, rock and country band. They have been together since 1997. In real life, Mike has a Masters Degree in Business and has been a Boeing Human Factors and Ergonomic Engineer for 23 years. Mike plays a standard 5- piece Pearl Export drum kit with Zildjian cymbals adding a Pearl Piccolo and Pearl Primero. Mike also plays congas, timbales and other percussion instruments. His rich bass voice adds background and harmony on the do wop songs – when he can stay in tune. Mike’s influences are Charlie Watts, Steve Gadd and Mick Fleetwood and anybody who can keep time. Mike’s son, Trevor, is the drummer for the rockabilly band ‘Dollar Store Cowboys’. Daughter Lisa is a saxophonist. Mike is the tacit “business manager” for GoldRush – contact him for booking information at schmittm2@comcast .net |
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