"Make yourself a tropical bevy with those little paper umbrellas, sliced pineapple, a curly straw, and ice cubes. Then cheer up, have a nice day, and pop in this Mike McGill CD." - The San Diego Troubadour
Born and raised on the East Coast (Connecticut), I settled in San Diego in 1998. I began writing music in the mid 90's, but didn't start performing until August, 2005. My style has been compared to Jack Johnson, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Jim Croce, and a few other '70s pop-folk artists. That's cool! My early influences were Elvis and The Beatles, but when the '70s disco and '80s "Big Hair" bands became popular, I would still find myself listening to the softer sounds of Paul Simon, James Taylor, Billy Joel, Jim Croce, The Eagles, etc.
A childhood dream of becoming a "rock star" became just that, a dream, as I found myself living the family life at an early age. However, I never stopped loving music and began to teach myself how to play the guitar in the '80s. Although I just played for fun, I started writing my own music during the '90s when I began to travel the country as a computer systems consultant.
Now that I'm settled in Southern California with a beautiful wife and 4 children, my one time "dream" is in a small way being fulfilled, as I find comfort in performing my own music along with the music of many of the artists that I idolize and that I'm often compared to.
My first CD "KEEP ON" was self released in November, 2006. As I continue to perform locally and throughout California, I also continue to write. I've compiled 14 new songs and hope to begin recording by the end of the summer. Which will hopefully give me time to release my second CD by the end of the year or early 2009.
I would like to finish by saying THANK YOU to all of you who add me and listen to my music. I really do try and get back to each and everyone of you, but don't always have the time. So PLEASE don't take it personally. Just know that I really do appreciate the friendship and all the kind words. Cheers!