Mike Strickland Biography 2005

A Brief Biography of
Mike Strickland

Pianist and composer Mike Strickland presents a hybrid of jazz and popular music. Born and raised in Jackson Mississippi, he grew up listening to Henry Mancini, Vince Guaraldi, the Beatles and Burt Bacharach. His performance career started at the age of 9 when his father would encourage him to entertain dinner guests (“Alley Cat” and “Baby Elephant Walk” were the big hits back then). Mike discovered his love for the Great American Songbook (Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and Duke Ellington) while singing in musicals and school choirs. After turning eighteen, he began to frequent the clubs and listened to great local blues talents including native Mississippian B.B. King. Formal music studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston and California State University at Northridge continued to expand his musical talents.
Mike developed his unique performance style playing in ski resorts, where his eclectic sets might include Beatles tunes, romantic Film themes, and piano-busting boogie-woogie numbers. It was during this time Mike started composing and arranging his own original music.
Residing in Seattle, Washington since 1981, Mike has built a solid career as a performer, composer and recording artist. In 1987, he formed Mike Strickland Productions, Inc. and recorded “Floating”, his first album of original music. This upbeat, creative album attracted the attention of CBS Sports PGA Golf producer, Frank Chirkinian, and Mike continued to write music for CBS Sports PGA Golf telecasts for the next 7 years.

To date, Mike has recorded 20 albums, including the most recent 2007 recording, "Have Yourself a Jazzy Little Christmas". He currently tours as a soloist, with The Mike Strickland Trio, and with his 15 year old daughter, Elizabeth, a fine classical pianist. He has sold over 300,000 CD's in the USA alone.

His work has been distributed in retail stores and digitally throughout the world, including gift and specialty store markets such as DisneyWorld gift properties, Hallmark stores, The Sharper Image, and digitally through Apple iTunes, Rhapsody, Napster, and MusicNet. His recordings have aired nationally on radio and television programs and his music is broadcast through Muzak and DMX Music via satellite to 40,000 businesses internationally.

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A Brief Biography of Mike Strickland Pianist and composer Mike Strickland presents a hybrid of jazz and popular music. Born and raised in Jackson Mississippi, he grew up listening to Henry Mancini, Vince Guaraldi, the Beatles and Burt Bacharach. His performance career started at the age of 9 when his father would encourage him to entertain dinner guests (“Alley Cat” and “Baby Elephant Walk” were the big hits back then). Mike discovered his love for the Great American Songbook (Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and Duke Ellington) while singing in musicals and school choirs. After turning eighteen, he began to frequent the clubs and listened to great local blues talents including native Mississippian B.B. King. Formal music studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston and California State University at Northridge continued to expand his musical talents. Mike developed his unique performance style playing in ski resorts, where his eclectic sets might include Beatles tunes, romantic Film themes, and piano-busting boogie-woogie numbers. It was during this time Mike started composing and arranging his own original music. Residing in Seattle, Washington since 1981, Mike has built a solid career as a performer, composer and recording artist. In 1987, he formed Mike Strickland Productions, Inc. and recorded “Floating”, his first album of original music. This upbeat, creative album attracted the attention of CBS Sports PGA Golf producer, Frank Chirkinian, and Mike continued to write music for CBS Sports PGA Golf telecasts for the next 7 years.
	To date, Mike has recorded 20 albums, including the most recent 2007 recording, "Have Yourself a Jazzy Little Christmas". He currently tours as a soloist, with The Mike Strickland Trio, and with his 15 year old daughter, Elizabeth, a fine classical pianist. He has sold over 300,000 CD's in the USA alone. His work has been distributed in retail stores and digitally throughout the world, including gift and specialty store markets such as DisneyWorld gift properties, Hallmark stores, The Sharper Image, and digitally through Apple iTunes, Rhapsody, Napster, and MusicNet. His recordings have aired nationally on radio and television programs and his music is broadcast through Muzak and DMX Music via satellite to 40,000 businesses internationally. return to press kit