Mike Compton (musician)

Mike Compton (born February 29, 1956 in Meridian, Mississippi) is an American bluegrass mandolin player and former protege of the Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe. He is considered a modern master of bluegrass mandolin.^[1]

Biography

Compton learned music from an early age as his great-grandfather was an old-time fiddler. Initially, Compton began playing the trombone but switched to guitar instead and later to mandolin playing old-time music with his cousin. He became interested in bluegrass music and eventually learned to play like Bill Monroe. At the Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival in 1975, he finally met Monroe. After Compton had finished his education at the Meridian Junior College he moved to Nashville and joined Hubert Davis and the Season Travelers in 1977. Four year later, in 1981, he left Davis' band. He spent the early 1980s, working as a cook and a printer and only occasionally as a musician.^[2] In the mid-1980s, he joined the Nashville Bluegrass Band but left the band in 1988 due to a road accident where bass player Mark Hembree was injured.^[3] Compton moved to the Catskill Mountains in 1991 working as a cottage caretaker. The next year, he returned to Nashville to record an album with David Grier. Because session work was scarce, Compton began teaching mandolin.^[2] In 1995, he recorded with Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys.^[4] Compton joined John Hartford in the mid 1990s recording several albums together with him.^[2] In 2000, Compton returned to the Nashville Bluegrass Band as a replacement for the mandolin player Roland White.^[3]

Awards

In 2001 and 2002, Compton was nominated as IBMA Mandolinist of the Year.^[2] In 2002, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, an album containing one of his songs, was awarded the Grammy Award for best album.^[5] In recognition of his achievements, he received a commendation from the Mississippi State Senate.^[6]

Discography

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Solo

• Mandotasting (2005)

Collaborations

• It's Hard To Tell the Singer From the Song, Hazel Dickens (1986) Rounder Records 0226
• Climbing The Walls, with David Grier (1989) Rounder Records 0280
• Stomp, with David Long (2006) Acoustic Disk B000E8N8OI
• Secret, Profane & Sugarcane, Elvis Costello (2009)
• Country Music, Willie Nelson (2010)

John Hartford

• Wild Hog in the Red Brush (1996) Rounder Records 0392
• No End of Love (1996) Small Dog A-Barking SD-696CD
• The Speed of the Old Long Bow (1998) Rounder Records 0438
• Good Old Boys (1999) Rounder Records 0462
• Hamilton Ironworks (2001) Rounder Records 0442
• Live from Mountain Stage (2002) Blue Plate Records SHCD-3959

Nashville Bluegrass Band

• Idle Time (1986) Rounder Records 0232
• My Native Home (1985) Rounder Records 0212
• To Be His Child (1987) Rounder Records 0242
• 20 Year Blues (2004) Sugar Hill Records SHCD-3959

See also

• Bluegrass music
• Country music
• Mandolin
• Grammy Awards
• International Bluegrass Music Association
• Americana Music Association
• Grand Ole Opry

Notes

1. ^ David McCarty. "Mike Compton - The Unlikely Icon". Mandolin Magazine. http://www.mandolinmagazine.com/articles/compton.html. Retrieved 2008-12-06. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Mike Compton by Dick Bowden
3. ^ ^{a b} Carlin 2003, p. 283.
4. ^ Rosenberg, Wolfe 2007, p. 286.
5. ^ "Full list of winners at the 44th Grammy awards". London: The Guardian. 2002-02-28. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/feb/28/2. Retrieved 2008-12-06. 
6. ^ "Senate Resolution No. 45". Mississippi Legislature. 2002. http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2002/pdf/SR/SR0045IN.pdf. Retrieved 2008-12-06. 

References

• Carlin, Richard (2003), Country Music: A Biographical Dictionary, Taylor & Francis
• Rosenberg, Neil V. - Wolfe, Charles K. (2007), The Music of Bill Monroe, University of Illinois Press

External links

• Official site
• Mandolin Magazine Article
• YouTube Channel
• Yahoo Groups Page

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Name	Compton, Mike
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Date of birth	1956-02-29
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