Mike Stout

Grievance Man TV

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Mike Stout is a hard-working singer-song writer calling on Americans to work together in solidarity to overcome their struggles. Along with his day job running a union print shop, he works many long nights in the studio creating music to raise awareness about serious social and political problems.

To commemorate Pittsburgh 250th anniversary, historian Charles McCollester’s new book on the history of Pittsburgh and singer-song writer Mike Stout’s latest CD about Pittsburgh heroes and are being jointly released under the title “The Point of Pittsburgh”. For Charles McCollester and Mike Stout, the Point of Pittsburgh is the unconquerable spirit of the people of Pittsburgh who forged the modern world. During its 250 year history Pittsburgh’s inventors, industrialists, abolitionists, union activists, musicians, sports heroes, educators, doctors, and blue-collar workers fought and struggled to improve life on this planet. Mike Stout has composed a CD of songs commemorating the hard working people of uncommon valor who shaped Pittsburgh and the world. Celebrated are the Pittsburghers who risked their livelihoods and lives to battle for the end of slavery, civil rights, worker safety, child labor laws, the 40 hour work week, fair wages, freedom, and justice. Mike Stout sings the stories of unsung heroes from Pittsburgh’s past.

Celebrated in song are abolistionist Martin Delany, boxer Billy Conn along with labor leaders Fannie Sellins (written by Anne Feeney), Crystal Eastman, The Cotton Mill Workers, Monsignor Charles Own Rice, and Sean George.
The 8,000 McKees Rocks immigrant workers who struck for worker safer and equitable pay are remembered in “Blood on the Rocks”. In 1909 the dreaded Coal and Iron Police invaded Mckees Rocks to break the strike and a two hour gun battle erupted in which six strikers and five constables were killed, and more than fifty were wounded.

The folkie fiddle flavored tune "Homestead Town" recalls the Glory Boom Town - the forge of the universe - where the union took on the Pinkertons and the streets where full of people in the middle of the night. In the Dylanesque song “When the Heyday Was Here” Stout remembers the winning fights for democracy and workers rights in Pittsburgh and exclaims even through the mills and the unions are gone they can’t take back the history and accomplishment we made here.

In the waltz tempo Americana song Happy Birthday to Pittsburgh Mike Stout salutes an historical parade of Pittsburgh heroes from the earliest indigenous natives through the abolitionists leaders heroic women union activists, the millions who worked in the steel, glass, and coal industries, to the displaced refuges of the Steeler Nation spread across the globe. Their city and it’s people are celebrated with the chorus …”From the North Hills to the South Hills to the East and West End….Happy Birthday to Pittsburgh from your family and friends.”

Order the Point of Pittsburgh Book Online

Purchase Mike's CDs at the People to People Stores

Biography

Mike Stout is a socially conscious singer song-writer and community leader. He leads crusades against local and global economic injustice rallying people with his music and he organizes them to take action. His sound and lyrics are influenced by his musical heros Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Neil Young.

John Hayes of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette wrote of Mike "In the Woody Guthrie tradition, his songs reflect contemporary issues without resorting to journalism. They're more like partisan op-ed columns that grab political opponents by the throat and don't let go." Mike tells his stories from the heart about people who are affected by unemployment or social injustice or war.

Born in Kentucky, Mike Stout began his musical career in New York City in 1968 playing his protest songs at Café Wa, the Bitter End, and the Gaslight. In 1977 became a steelworker at the late great Homestead Works. Elected the unions head grievance man, he used his guitar, voice, music, and lyrics to rally his co-workers at union meetings. Together they fought to win more than $10 million in lost wages, severance pay, pensions, and unemployment benefits for 3,000 displaced workers. With thousands of families losing unemployment benefits and facing foreclosure, Mike organized a benefit concert that drew attention from CBS, NBC, the AP, UPI and the international press. The funds raised by the concert lead to the formation of the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food-bank. Mike is a founding board member of Just Harvest and the Steel Valley Authority, organizations that aid displaced works and the poor.

After the mill closings Mike started writing songs again. He has recorded nine CDs in the last 10 years and has performed across the United States and Europe with the message of human solidarity and peace. A Duquesne University professor took one of Mike CDs to the People to People book store in Germany and played them Mikes song People to People. Impressed with Mikes message, the book store stocked Mike CDs and sponsored his four concert tours in Germany and Poland. Mike has sold thousands of CDs in Europe.

Depleted Uranium Watch

Campaign Against Depleted Uranium

Just Harvest

Thomas Merton Center

Steel Valley Authority

"Big Time Corporation Blues" reached 10 in Blues on Garageband.com and was a featured track of the day"