Guy-Michael Grande profile picture

Guy-Michael Grande

Passionate pop for roller-coaster romantics

About Me


GMG
Hey there. Thanks for checking out my page. If you’re wondering who I am, and what you should know about me, well… what do you need and want to know? What can I share?

I’m an artist , as you can see: a performing singer-songwriter and writer. The second born of four children in an amazing third-generation Italian-American family, I have two sisters and one brother.
Growing up in my Dad’s beauty salon, I fell in love with women and words earlier than most boys do. In between answering the phone, chatting with clientele and sweeping the floor, I read every magazine I could while there, from Harper’s to Vogue and plenty in between. Though I’ve cut back considerably on my subscriptions & impulsive bookstore buys of late, I’m an admitted magazine junkie to this day; it’s my favorite medium for reading anything.
I still adore & admire women – from my family, friends and fortunate loves to new friends who bring their own distinct inspiration into my storyline. My Mom, sisters and Gram are four of the most incredible people I’ve ever known; they help keep me balanced, if anyone does. And while it’s always been a constant no matter what twists and turns my life is taking, my love affair with writing is definitely enjoying renewed intensity these days.
Music mattered in our house. Everybody sang, Daddy played the organ, and each of my three siblings still has a voice more beautiful than mine. I’m just the kooky middle child who needs to make a living making music, who’s finally giving myself entirely to my calling.
Though I took up the guitar at age seven with some reluctance, radio permeated my childhood days. I spent hours listening to 60s and 70s pop, rock and R&B on my tiny transistor radio, then boombox, stereo and eventually, my first Walkman. We were practically inseparable! After a year’s worth of basic guitar lessons, my dirt bike and Star Wars action figures took priority. But by late 1980, John Lennon’s “Starting Over” and “Watching the Wheels” hit radio, awakening my eleven-year-old ears – along with John Cougar’s “Hurts So Good” – and I wanted to sing. Eddie Van Halen and The Edge, whose music I couldn’t get enough of, were also working their magic; their sound, style and songs made me literally fall in love with playing the guitar.
I’m fiercely passionate about my favorites, loves and concerns. As you can imagine!
As a kid, my favorite comic book character was Batman . Still is. Could be the natural protector in me, I guess. Maybe it’s my sense of justice, of setting things right and avenging wrongs, especially when they’re perpetrated against women or children. I’m no chauvinist, but I am a bit old-fashioned when it comes to this.
Even though I spent four (early 90s) years working behind the scenes in the music business (taking care of publicity & promotion for a Grammy-winning, internationally known artist roster), I’m still very much a music fan at heart.
Thanks to my writing, and my EAR CANDY column, I’ve met and shared conversations with some of my favorite artists, among them heroes like Steve Lukather and Dominic Miller. But I’ve done my time in the nine-to-five trenches as well, spending a decade of days toiling in the corporate world. That chapter is one I’ve gladly closed (95-05), no matter what the future holds in store for me. As I wrote for Bob Baker’s “Buzz Factor” not long ago, most of us are artists 24 hours a day, no matter where our work-weeks are spent to pay our rent. Sometimes our daily grind temporarily makes us lose sight of this, lose ourselves or our souls in the process.
As far as my music goes, you may wonder what (or who) I sound like, a worthy yet tricky question. After hearing the four songs on this page, how would you describe my sound – my voice, lyrics, melodies, music & songs – if you were telling a friend about me? I can share some critics’ comparisons so far, but I’d rather let your imagination simmer.
I do hope to make music that gets to you the way my favorite artists have always gotten to me. Songs that feel like they’ve been written for (or about) us, so close to our own emotions and experiences.
On that note, I’d love to share some of the music that moves me: artists whose singing and songwriting absolutely inspire me, whose recordings and performances really get to me, a few of them good friends making sweet music out on the road & radio (though it’s nearly impossible to list them all here):
Justin Currie, del Amitri, Juliana Hatfield, Jude Cole, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Eddie Van Halen, Harriet Wheeler, The Edge, U2, Steve Lukather, The Beatles, Chantal Kreviazuk, Willie Nelson, Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers, Ray Charles, Alice Peacock, Hal Benoit, David Sanborn, Jeff Porcaro, Diana Krall, Hank Williams, Mary Lou Lord, Josh Ritter, Neal Schon, Norah Jones, Frankie Sullivan, Survivor, Mary Ann Farley, Indigo Girls, Mark Erelli, Keith Scott, Garrison Starr, G.E. Smith, Karen Carpenter, Michael McDonald, Tracy Grammer, Kenny Loggins, Patty Griffin, Burt Teague, Jackson Browne, Patty Larkin, Marshall Crenshaw, Tiffany Arbuckle, John Hiatt, Rebecca Correia, Lyle Lovett, Martina McBride, Freedy Johnston, Lisa Martin, Sade, Elvis Costello, The Corrs, Neil Finn, Crowded House, Kelly Willis, Rhett Miller, Beth Orton, Sheryl Crow, Ryan Adams, Abra Moore, Lisa Bastoni, John Mayer, Tara MacLean, David Gray, Alison Krauss, Michael Buble, Rachael Yamagata, John Pizzarelli, Fleetwood Mac, Kate Callahan, Jon Brion, Hall & Oates, Alastair Moock, Guster, Dido, Counting Crows, Scout, Jerree Small, Frente!, Danny Kortchmar, Chely Wright, The Wallflowers, Annie Lennox, Eric Clapton, Mary Lee’s Corvette…
In the years since I began actively songwriting and performing live again, I’ve been blessed in many ways. I’ve had the immensely good fortune to open performances for artists I admire including Will Hoge, Jeffrey Gaines, Freedy Johnston, Eliza Gilkyson, Susan Werner and They Might Be Giants (at two noted venues on the same Northampton night!), Steve Forbert and David Wilcox, among others. My own songs have been recorded alongside some of my favorite area musicians as well, from guitarists Jim Chapdelaine and Duke Levine to multi-instrumentalist Jim Henry, bassists Richard Gates and Drew Glackin, drummers Jon Peckman and Doug Plavin… and a humbling cast of supporting characters.
I’ve performed in bars and churches, parking lots and concert halls from Hartford to Hollywood, Northampton to New York to Nashville; I've sung for a wildly eclectic, enthusiastic rush hour crowd on Hollywood Boulevard and swapped songs under the starry summer skies of Falcon Ridge; had one sermon written around my song “So Much Of What I Wanted,” and a beautiful baby girl born to the sounds of my first song “Here & Now” (but not my own daughter, since I’ve no children yet). I’ve traveled a bit but need to see the world as a touring artist, behind these six strings and the sound of my own voice. More than anywhere else, I yearn to see my grandfather’s birthplace in Italy, with Ireland and Scotland coming in a close second and third.
I love great songs. I love it when a new voice compels me to listen, when a song’s grooves and hooks are so irresistible, I completely lose myself within the music. As I said, I’m still a huge music fan, equal parts artist and artist advocate. If I send you an add request, it’s only because I’ve taken the time to visit your page, read and listen, finding something I really like (or love!) about your sensibility and work.
I could go on & on & on & on… but if you’ve read this far, you’ve got a sense of who I am. Feel free to email me anytime; I wish you only the best in everything you do!
Your humble songsmith,
GMG
Be whoever you are and give whenever you can.
Share your spirit and make a difference.
Enjoy every season with your loved ones.
Believe in love and miracles.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 6/29/2005
Band Website: www.guy-michael.com " guy-michael.com
Band Members:
GMG
guitar & vocals

featured players
on my recordings include


Jim Chapdelaine

Richard Gates

Drew Glackin

Jim Henry

Stephen Kellogg

Duke Levine

Lisa Martin

Jon Peckman

Doug Plavin


All songs now available at

iTunes

CDs available at
cdbaby.com/all/routefive


Proud endorsee
John Pearse Strings


Proud member
Musicians On Call


Influences:
childhood Sundays

Batman

Miss Diamond

Matty G

Mike Mulligan
&
His Steam Shovel


David & Laura

Belltown

Barbara

Kristy McNichol

Julia’s Market

The Carol Burnett Show

the Batmobile

Julie Newmar

Karen Carpenter

Washington Boulevard

Natalie Wood

driving at 9 with Dad

Grace Kelly

Springdale

The Benny Hill Show

action figures

Rudy Leonetti

comic books

Don Imus & WNBC radio

my first Strat

Han Solo

the Millennium Falcon

Barbara Gordon

Lou’s Kitchen

The Empire Strikes Back

Rippowam

Terri-Ann

Purple Rain

Anton Corbijn

Some Kind of Wonderful

John Carrigan

Mary Stuart Masterson

New York City

Diane Lane

Blackie & Stowie

Bedford Records

Christine

Clay Hudnall

Cindy Crawford

Leslie W. Parker

Anne Ganem

Herb Ritts

Mike Garry

Steve McQueen

Kim

William Holden

Dena-Anne

Guess Who’s Coming
To Dinner?


Scott de Francesco

Harrison Ford

Chuck King

Stephanie Seymour

Moshe Paranov

Lewis Lapham

Raymond Carver

Bill Stull

Tess Gallagher

Lich & Jimmy

Route 2

Turnip The Music

Bill Champlin

Amy Rogue

Mario the V

the Arch

Jennifer Aniston

Marc O

CityPlace

Suzanne

my Martin acoustic

Esquire

Freaktown Heights

Colorado Chelle

Hartford

the Olympia Diner

Caroline

Northampton

Mindy K

Route 5

Juliana

Common Ground Bistro

Jim Chapdelaine

Iron Horse Music Hall

Katia Gordeeva

Mirror of Venus

Charles Bukowski

Semper

Patrick Demarchelier

the Bonfire Girls

Stephen Kellogg

Old Colony Beach

Gibson parlor guitars

Uncle Guy

Danger Girl

Ryan & Jillian

Mary Jo

Kid H & Cool Hand Luke

Jennifer Connelly

strawberry lip-smackers

MAC

Gracie & Brandon

McQuade’s Café

Hal Benoit

my Guild guitars

Burt Teague

the extraordinary
Miss Silva

Julia Paige
&
Aidan Patrick

Johnny & June

Western Massachusetts

Reese Witherspoon

Keane

Natasha's irresistible
self-portrait

life without television

Kirsten Dunst

Bob Dylan

Ashley Wood

Peggy

Ray Charles

Wayne Dyer

Ginger B

Musicians On Call

Eckhart Tolle

Percy Priest Lake

every single kiss & bliss…

Sounds Like: A hundred-dollar millionaire!
Record Label: Route Five Records
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

GMG’s Me & U2 YouTube contest

Hello musical friends around the world!  Hope this email finds you doing well and savoring the start of spring, wherever you may be.  Just wanted to share this quick bit of news from Route F...
Posted by Guy-Michael Grande on Sun, 20 Apr 2008 11:55:00 PST

The most fortunate man in Nashville

The most fortunate man in Nashville   Hello again, my friends. I really need to share this story with you while my spirit's still tingling.   Yesterday (and again this evening), I spent some...
Posted by Guy-Michael Grande on Thu, 06 Dec 2007 10:33:00 PST

Whirlwind week: AMAs, CMAs and then some!

Whirlwind week: AMA's, CMA's and then some!   Besides making great music, what do Stephen Kellogg, Bruce Hornsby, Rebecca Correia, Lyle Lovett, Emmylou Harris, Brooke Miller, Sarah Borges, Seth W...
Posted by Guy-Michael Grande on Thu, 08 Nov 2007 01:43:00 PST

My first four months in Nashville

My first four months in Nashville   Okay, I confess: I've been a lousy correspondent lately, at least here on MySpace, but with good reason. As some of you know, I moved to Nashville (from my na...
Posted by Guy-Michael Grande on Tue, 16 Oct 2007 12:39:00 PST

Up to Me

Hello everyone.  I know I haven't written for a while, away at sea, but believe me, you've been on my mind.  Here's a favorite Dylan lyric to tide us over for now; if you haven't heard the s...
Posted by Guy-Michael Grande on Wed, 04 Apr 2007 10:40:00 PST

Six-String Radio, my new CD, now available!

Six-String Radio the new record from Route Five recording artist Guy-Michael Grande   Hello fellow music makers and music lovers.  I've got a brand new record to share and want to let you kn...
Posted by Guy-Michael Grande on Thu, 07 Sep 2006 12:49:00 PST

The Sinking of Ocean 211

The Sinking of Ocean 211 STAMFORD, August 5th, 2006: Thursday's massive power outage downtown apparently wasn't the only thing that disrupted city concert plans this past weekend, as friends, family a...
Posted by Guy-Michael Grande on Tue, 08 Aug 2006 08:30:00 PST

New songs, Nelson, Cash & Dylan

Wrote a new song yesterday called "Not The Boy Who I Once Used To Be," a classic I-IV-V country progression inspired by the likes of Willie Nelson, the Old 97s, Bruce Robison and Fountains of Wayne.&n...
Posted by Guy-Michael Grande on Wed, 07 Jun 2006 10:41:00 PST

Catching up with Luke

Still high from my conversation with Steve Lukather yesterday afternoon; we caught up by phone to discuss Toto's amazing new CD, Falling in Between, for my Ear Candy column. I tried to describe our fi...
Posted by Guy-Michael Grande on Wed, 07 Jun 2006 10:12:00 PST

Luckiest Man in the World

Hello, everyone. It's been some time since my last ramble here, but with good reason: we're closing in on mastering the new record amidst a slew of live gigs everywhere I can perform these days.  ...
Posted by Guy-Michael Grande on Tue, 23 May 2006 10:43:00 PST