Michael Hardie

Michael Hardie grew up in Sealy, Texas (USA) near Houston. His first music experience was piano lessons from the local nuns. At 13 he began singing, playing bass, guitar and writing songs. At 19 Michael became a professional musician in Houston and started playing blues. He opened for Lightnin’ Hopkins in 1977. He moved to Los Angeles for the next 10 years where he met Jesse Ed Davis (John Lennon’s favorite guitar player; he also played with George Harrison and Taj Mahal). Michael recorded his first vinyl record (a four song EP) in 1982 on his own label Punch Records with Jesse Ed Davis. He opened for Buddy Guy and Jr. Wells in Long Beach, California in 1987. In 1988, blues great Phillip Walker recorded Michael’s song, “Sometime Girl” on his “Blues” (Hightone) album. His first CD, “Houston Blues” (Punch Records, 1991), was recorded in Austin, Texas with Milton Hopkins, the cousin of Lightnin’ Hopkins. Milton played with B.B. King and Little Richard. Gary Primich also appeared on harmonica. “Houston Blues” led Michael to Berlin, Germany for an independent music conference. He spent several years touring, writing and living there. In 1996 Michael recorded “The Berlin Demos” (Punch Records) in Berlin with Christian Rannenberg. Michael then moved to Nashville, Tennessee and continued writing. On Memorial Day week-end 2006 a 3-day visit from his daughter, Myla, and his son-in-law, Duda Guedes started his latest band, The Myla Hardie Family Band. The Family Band made it’s initial 7 week tour of Brazil in Jan./Feb. of 2007. Michael Hardie has re-united with Milton Hopkins and is currently finishing his new CD, “Waiting for Perfection” (Worldhaus Records), with Milton Hopkins, The Myla Hardie Family Band and Chuck Rainey (played with Aretha Franklin and Steely Dan). Marc Urselli, who won recognition from the Grammys for his work engineering and mixing Les Paul's 80th anniversary album is the Producer on the project. Michael is planning to go on a tour of Brazil with The Myla Hardie Family Band in April, 2008 and expects to play some blues gigs with Milton Hopkins in Texas in the near future.