Iron Mike Norton
| Iron Mike Norton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | October 20, 1973 |
| Genres | Blues |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Associated acts | Sonny Landreth, Ozark |
| Website | ironmikenorton.com |
| Notable instruments | |
| Guitar | |
Iron Mike Norton (born October 20, 1973) is an American blues musician who is most known as a slide guitar player. Born in Fort Gordon, Georgia, he grew up in Springfield, Missouri and St. Petersburg, Florida.[1]
Prior to 2005 he toured and performed as Michael Shaun Norton.
Technique
Iron Mike is best known for his slide playing, having developed a technique pioneered by his mentor Sonny Landreth where he frets notes and plays chords behind the slide. Norton is also known for employing right hand finger tapping techniques in combination with his slide work.[2]
Mike's started his professional career as a session bass player in the Tampa Bay area heavy metal scene but eventually moved on to work as a roadie for several country music acts including Mel McDaniel in the early 1990s. From 1995 to 1997 Mike was the lead vocalist for the King Eagle Award nominated country rock act Ozark.[3]
In 1997 Mike met Sonny Landreth and began to learn slide guitar. Through his personal and professional friendship with Landreth, Mike developed his slide guitar technique that included many of the techniques pioneered by Sonny.[4][5]
Iron Mike is currently considered one of the foremost practitioners of Landreth's fret behind the slide techniques.[6]
Discography
Solo
Iron Mike Norton has released at three albums:
- Sledge (2007), GFO Records
- Live Free or Die (2009), GFO Records
- Dirty South (2011), GFO Records
- Bad Monkey (2012), GFO Records
Iron Mike released several out of print albums as Michael Shaun Norton:
- Spooky & the Blue Voodoo Tribe (2000), B&M Records
- Red Rum (2002), B&M Records
- Carpe Noctum (2003), B&M Records
- Hellhound (2005), B&M Records
Other Bands
Ozark:
- Heal My Blue (1995), Five Roses Records
Honors and awards
- King Eagle Awards Best New Country Act Nominee: 1997
External links
References
- ↑ Boogie Man of the Blues. The Weekly Planet, May 1999, Sarasota, FL
- ↑ Carpe Noctum: Dark Side of the Blues. The Oracle, October 2005
- ↑ Boogie Man of the Blues. The Weekly Planet, May 1999, Sarasota, FL
- ↑ Audio interview conducted by Dr. Bob Martin The Blues Clinic. US 97 FM, Springfield, MO, 2005
- ↑ Goodman, Frank. A Conversation With Sonny Landreth. Puremusic, 2003
- ↑ Sledge. Blues Matters Magazine, Oct/Nov 2007