BARRY MICHAEL

Barry Michael started playing guitar at twelve years of age. His father played guitar on radio in Australia in the 1930’s, so the house was always full of music. He grew up listening to Fats Waller, country swing and Top 40 pop music. In 1980 he took off to see the world. For three years he travelled around America and Europe before ending up in London, where he met two brothers (Alan and Graham Hammonds) who played in The Incredible Kidda Band, a post punk rock band.

Barry immersed himself in the London music scene and started writing songs, playing live with their band and doing solo spots in pubs and clubs. In 1986 he returned to Australia and performed on national TV show called Hey Hey It’s Saturday, on the Red Faces segment. He won on the night and was called back to perform on the show. He soon signed to EMI Records Australia and released two singles, ''I Don't Understand (Where I Fit In) / All To You'' (1986) and ''Social Security / Thinking Of You'' (1987). What starts quickly often ends just as quick. After six months Barry found himself without a record deal but a wealth of experience and a bag full of songs.

Barry started travelling again and returned to Australia and released his first six track EP in 1991. An album called 'The First Time' followed in 1993. Playing on TV shows like Hey Hey It's Saturday and Tonight Live With Steve Vizard and countless live radio performances taught Barry a great deal. Rave reviews followed with Mark Demetrius (Rolling Stone Magazine) saying “ Barry doesn’t fit into any stylistic pigeonhole; He’s simply a superb singer-songwriter who can probably compose hook lines in his sleep. Like Loudon Wainwright III, he proves he’s no dork precisely by writing about dorkishness, loneliness and inadequacy. ‘Not Think Of You ‘ is a slow painful blues worthy of Billy Holiday, that’s saying something”. In 2002 he teamed up with Paul Hester (ex-Crowded House) who played on, and produced, Barry’s second album entitled 'I’m On Fire'. More gigs, rave reviews and community Radio airplay followed. He released his third album is called 'I Am Your Sky' in 2012 and his fourth album 'Let's Fly' in 2024.

SINGLES
''I Don't Understand (Where I Fit In) (#35) / All To You'' 1986 EMI
''Social Security / Thinking Of You'' 1987 EMI

EPs

'You'll Never Know Me' 1991 Rampant

ALBUMS
'The First Time' 2002 

'I'm On Fire' 2007

'I Am Your Sky' 2012

'Let's Fly' 2024

References

https://www.reverbnation.com/mrbarrymichael/

http://top100singles.blogspot.com.au/