Michael Holloway grew up in the Mississippi Delta, spending his
childhood in Arkansas and Mississippi. His exposure to music came early, accompanying his
father to blues jams with other workers in the wood pulp business. "I got to hang in
these jukes, listening to Z.Z. Hill, Albert King, B.B., Jimmy Reed. It always made me
tingle inside. I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I still cross the Mississippi state
line and get cold chills up my arm. I know that’s the hold of the blues. I can still
feel it." Playing from the left side, Holloway learned the guitar on his own,
playing his father’s instrument upside down. He studied every guitarist with whom he
came into contact. Most influential were the three Kings – Albert, B.B., and Freddie.
Add a touch of Clapton and a healthy respect for the slide work of Sonny
Landreth, and you
have some sense of his roots. The "southpaw from Arkansas" plays each night
"like it’s my last, ‘cause it may very well be. And I want to leave you
with something special."
 After spending many years as a sideman, Michael Holloway
stepped out front in 1999 when Nightfly released his first solo album, Blues Travels
Fast. The response to the album and to Holloway's live shows was much the
same — why did he wait so long?
That album's reviews compared the
singer-songwriter-guitarist with Wes Montgomery, Sonny Landreth, George Benson,
Carlos Santana, the three Kings (Albert, B.B., and Freddy), Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray
Vaughan, and Billy Gibbons, among others.
Andy Grigg of Real Blues Magazine said the following when
he reviewed Blues Travels Fast, and then selected Holloway to receive two of the
magazine's annual blues awards:
 "Too often now we
hear posers sing of a blue collar/working class existence they know little
about, so it is refreshing to hear a bona fide southern blue-collar bluesman the calibre of Holloway. Totally intense, original and exciting goodtime
rockin’ blues at its very, very best would be an apt description of the music
contained on this little platter. Holloway plays a clean but stinging lead
guitar that sounds somewhat like a B.B. King/Dickey Betts hybrid and that says a
whole lot. His vocals are wonderful: totally natural (just like most Southern
boys) and his song writing skills are the real ace. 14 out of 15 tracks are
written by Michael and every one is a gem. All convey his personal experiences
with the blues, so there’s loads of honesty and an immediate connection with
his audience.
"When
selecting this year’s Real Blues Awards, Holloway’s name and this CD
kept coming up in a variety of categories and that says a lot, considering the
multitude of contenders we had to choose from. If you love real honest hard-rockin’
Southern blues, grab this disc and give it a whole bunch of ear at full volume.
You can't help but fall in love with it and Michael Holloway’s talents."
Reviews like that weren't isolated. Malcolm Hare, owner of Blues Club of
the Year Bourbon Street Blues & Boogie Bar said: "It's hard to pick which of
Mike's talents shines the most — his extraordinary guitar work, his barroom
growl vocals or his grab-your-gut writing."
Holloway
has garnered a great deal of critical acclaim from his two CDs and his live
shows. He has also laid claim to several awards, including Real Blues
Magazine's Best Southern Blues Guitarist, Real Blues Magazine's #5 Best Southern
Blues CD for Blues Travels Fast, the Music City Blues Entertainer of the Year
twice, and the Music City Blues Guitarist of the Year twice.
Now, following his recovery from a
career-threatening accident, Holloway is back with a brand new album, Ridin'
This Train, with 14 more original songs, a great band, and some special guests.
Listen to Michael Holloway |
