Especially for the record and landmark
Children’s Hope Alliance and Heartstrings Therapeutic Music & Art Program, in conjunction with their collaborative partner Iredell Arts Council, announce the March Music Speaks event featuring singer-songwriter Michael Federal.
The event will be held on Thursday from 5:30-7pm at the Heartstrings Gracie Building, 153 Frazier Loop, Statesville. The event is free and open to community participation.
Music Speaks is an inspirational speaker series for musicians that will be held monthly in 2023 on the Barium Springs campus. A variety of guest speakers will share personal stories of overcoming adversity on their musical journey and will also perform some of their music for the local community and at-risk children in attendance.
Born in Charlotte, Federal grew up in Columbus, Georgia, the second of nine children. He started playing guitar and singing in high school in 1962, playing folk songs at hootenanni and then forming a rock and roll band that played at parties and proms. After attending Loyola Southern University in New Orleans for a year, Federal returned home and began playing music in local bars in Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. He moved to Chicago to “seek his fortune.”
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Federal began writing songs, playing music, and driving a cab until he auditioned to join the cast of “The American Tribal-Love Rock Musical — HAIR,” which had been playing in Chicago for several months. He starred in the show for almost a year as Claude. Two of the co-stars became big stars, Joe Mantegna, a Broadway and television star of Criminal Minds, and Andre DeShields, a Broadway star.
Federal met Bette Midler, a rising star, in Chicago and moved to New York to play bass guitar for Midler for several years. The group toured the entire country. Barry Manilow was also a member of Midler’s band. Manilow and Federal often opened Midler’s concerts together. They were on Midler’s debut studio album “The Divine Miss M.” Some special places include Carnegie Hall, Armadillo World Headquarters, opening for Jerry Lee Lewis, opening for Johnny Carson in Las Vegas, along with an appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
After leaving Midler’s band, he started his own band in New York. While in New York, Federal was nominated by the “Soho Weekly News” for Best New York Cabaret Act of 1977-78. The New York Times, New York Daily News and The Aquarian consistently admired his stage presence, his heart-wrenchingly original ballads, along with his energetic and euphoric rockers.
After about 15 years, he returned to Charlotte and began playing with his brother, Lenny Federal. They formed the Federal Bureau of Rock and Roll and were the house band at the Double Door Inn in Charlotte. The group traveled throughout the Southeast, from Boone to Key West, Florida. Federal was offered a gig at Country City USA, where he met Rusty Barkley and the two played top 40 country. They also played a duo at Coyote Joe’s before Rusty and Bob Dunlap formed the Part Time Blues Band. Federal joined the band and played with PTBB for over 25 years.
COVID-19 hit and Federal took a break from public performances, but continued to write and record songs. He is currently available to perform solo or with one or two additional players for special venues or events. Since Federal’s Irish heritage and St. Patrick’s Day are in March, he plays concerts of traditional Irish music and his own original songs during that time.
Federal has three children; his daughter and youngest son live on the West Coast and are both musically gifted. His oldest son lives in North Carolina and spends years entertaining and traveling the world with the Barnum and Bailey Circus. After many years in Charlotte, Federal has lived in Iredell County for the past three years.
Teachers are encouraged to invite their students to attend. All musicians and music lovers are also encouraged to participate.
Refreshments for 2023 monthly events provided by The Exchange Club of Mooresville/Lake Norman.