Chatting with Mike Murphy
A Refreshing Collection of Sincere Emotion
by Barbara Bales

Click Here for Mike's CD single

"I'm ready for things to start happening-musically, physically, spiritually-all of it!" So begins R&B singer/songwriter Mike Murphy, whose debut full-length CD will be released by Long Island based Vibe Records.

Ohio-born Mike, who is the son of a preacher, started singing in the church his dad had established "in the inner city of Canton.. I was very cultured as a
youth and I learned about all kinds of people when my dad founded the church. The music I was exposed to was pretty diverse. I picked up the R&B elements from the parishioners, who introduced me to soul and gospel"
At 14, Mike's first taste of show business came with his tenure as a drummer in New Groove, a band formed by fellow schoolmates. New Groove played in various talent shows, but it was only when Mike joined another group, Second Chance, that he began taking singing seriously. "Second Chance was very vocal-based. 'My bandrnates taught me how to really sing," he laughs. A few years later, he joined the Army' "as a regular soldier. I was stationed in Louisiana, and in my free time I would sign up for shows and contests. Louisiana, like New York, has a . Showtime At The Apollo. I entered one of their contests and I won first place. It was the first time I had been onstage by myself, and I realized that this was what I wanted to do. Winning at Showtime made me feel like

"New York has made me a thoroughbred, or a pitbull, in terms of how I approach music and the whole industry'

I wasn't lying to myself about my musical career."
Soon, Army Entertainment hired Mike to do a yearlong tour as an R&B vocalist,' a gig' he found somewhat frustrating. "They made me do stuff I didn't want to do, like cover songs: 'N Sync, New Kids On The Block, Backstreet Boys," he says. "I really wanted to do my original music, which I have been writing since 1992. I like soul music and didn't want to become stereotyped and be branded a pop star. I must say, though, that it was a humbling experience to be an Army entertainer. 1 had to pay my dues."
When he got out of the Army with an honorable discharge, the aspiring R&B artist went back to Ohio in hopes of reconnecting with former band members. "I tried to rally up a supergroup, but nobody was focused on the.real goal. That's when I decided to come to New York." In spring 2001, through a friend in Ohio, Mike linked up with Myles Sanders, manager of Color Me Badd. "Myles suggested I relocate to New York," says Mike. "I got here and I have been writing and recording ever since."
He admits that the move was intimidating. "I'm from a small city; I'm a,Midwestern guy. But it was a very welcomed challenge. In New York. City, every aspect is increased: the cost of living, the competition. As for the East Coast music, whenever a particular sound becomes popular here, it will become the standard elsewhere. I didn't want to get caught up in that or be influenced by it, so I turned the radio and TV off. New York is ahead of everybody else in entertainment and pop culture.
"New York has made me a thoroughbred, or a pitbull in terms of how I approach music and the whole industry. I realize it is a business and I am just a product. I plan to break that and dominate my field of expertise. I want to be taken seriously as an artist. I'm not a prepackaged pop idol" .
The as-yet-unnamed CD of Mike's original material is slated to come out later this year or in early 2004. He describes his music as "a refreshing collection of sincere emotion. I cover topics like pain, love, libido, and how we cope with these things. The songs are my children and I like watching them grow, Like all children, they have different traits that make them all special"
Through a friend, he met TIm Olphie, the founding president of VIbe Records, whose words of encouragement have made Mike a happy camper. "Tim told me to get ready to quit my job. He had heard my music earlier this year, and now I am on the VIBE lineup."
Of his own devotion to his blossoming career, Mike comments, 'The music requires so much attention in different directions that it has got me neglecting the most important part of myself: me! Relationships and friendships are difficult right now. But at the end of all this, any success that I have, I plan to give back to the Lord, I want to go back to the city I came from and share my success with loved ones." .