Micki Free facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Micki Free
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Free performing at the Kitchener Bluesfest in 2018
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| Background information | |
| Born | May 20, 1955 |
| Genres | Rock, blues, electric blues, blues rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals, Native American flute, harmonica |
| Labels | Native Music Rocks Records |
| Associated acts | Micki Free American Horse, Shalamar |
Micki Free, born on May 20, 1955, is a talented guitarist and singer. He is of Native American heritage. Micki Free won a Grammy Award for his music in the Beverly Hills Cop movie soundtrack. He has also received several Native American Music Awards. He works as the director of Promotions and Special Events for the Seminole Tribe of Florida. This tribe owns Hard Rock International.
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Micki Free's Early Life and Music Journey
Micki Free was born in West Texas. Soon after, his family moved to Germany. He has a mixed background of Irish, Comanche, and Cherokee heritage. His stepfather was a U.S. Army sergeant stationed in Germany. It was there that Micki first discovered rock 'n' roll music. One of his five sisters took him to a Jimi Hendrix concert. Micki remembered, "It just blew my mind."
Joining Shalamar and Grammy Success
Later, his family moved to Illinois. Micki joined a rock band called Smokehouse. When he was 17, Gene Simmons from the band KISS discovered him. This happened at a concert where Smokehouse opened for KISS, Ted Nugent, and REO Speedwagon. With encouragement from Simmons, Micki joined the band Shalamar in 1984.
This was a time of great success for Shalamar. Their song "Dancing In The Sheets" from the Footloose soundtrack reached #17 in the U.S. Top 20 in 1984. In 1985, they won a Grammy for "Don't Get Stopped In Beverly Hills." This song was from the Beverly Hills Cop (1984) soundtrack. Micki Free was nominated for a Grammy three times with Shalamar.
After Shalamar: New Bands and Awards
After leaving Shalamar, Micki Free and Jean Beauvoir started a rock band called Crown of Thorns. Later, Micki formed his own band, The Micki Free Electric Blues Experience. Jon Brant (from Cheap Trick) played bass, and Curly Smith (from Boston) played drums.
Micki's music career after Shalamar earned him more awards. He won at the Native American Music Awards. He was named Male Artist in 2002 and Pop Rock artist in 2004. Micki has won five Native American Music Awards in total. He was also inducted into The Native American Music Awards Hall of Fame in 2022.
Micki Free has recorded music with famous musicians. These include Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top. He also released a live DVD/CD/EP called Micki Free Live in Hyde Park. This featured Bill Wyman, who used to be in The Rolling Stones. In 2002, Micki was chosen to play Tonto in a new movie about The Lone Ranger.
Native Music Rocks Program
Micki Free created a music program called Native Music Rocks. This program helps Native American musicians. It gives them a chance to tour with Micki and his band, American Horse Trio. The band includes Cindy Blackman-Santana, who used to drum for Lenny Kravitz, and David Santos on bass.
Micki was the director of the Native Music Rocks program. He then started the first Native American record company, Native Music Rocks Records. This company worked with Fontana/Universal Music. Micki was a recording artist on the label. He was also the Chief Creative Officer and Vice President. The program was supported by Hard Rock International and the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
Micki Free was invited to perform with other Native American musicians. They were called Native Rocks. They played at the American Indian Inaugural Ball in Arlington, Virginia. This event celebrated president Barack Obama's inauguration. Micki also performed with Native Rocks at the Hard Rock Cafe before the Inaugural Ball.
Recent Music Releases
Micki's album Tattoo Burn was released in 2012. It is a blues-rock style album. Micki wrote, produced, arranged, and performed all the music on it. His most recent album is Turquoise Blue, released in 2022. This album features members of Santana. It also includes special guests like Steve Stevens of Billy Idol and Gary Clark, Jr.
Micki Free in Pop Culture
Micki Free's style in the early 1980s was featured in a funny TV sketch. This sketch was on Chappelle's Show in 2004. It was called "Prince - Uncensored" and was part of Charlie Murphy's True Hollywood Stories. The sketch showed a story told by Charlie Murphy. He talked about meeting Prince (played by Dave Chappelle) and playing basketball. Prince and his band, The Revolution, played while still wearing their flashy clothes. They were very good at basketball and beat Murphy and his friends. Afterward, Prince served them pancakes.
In a 2016 interview, Micki Free said that the events in the sketch were "totally accurate." He also said that Prince played basketball "like Michael Jordan."
Micki Free's Music Albums
- Gypsy Cowboy (1995)
- Black Moon...Black Sun (2002)
- Electric Warrior (2002)
- The Sun Chaser: Native American Flute Love Songs (2003)
- Sedona Free (2005)
- Micki Free Experience (2005)
- Comanche: Native American Flute Music (2007)
- Micki Free Ambassador of Rock (2009) - This was a re-release of Gypsy Cowboy.
- American Horse (2010)
- Tattoo Burn (2012)
- American Trash with Jean Beauvoir (2015)
- The Native American Flute As Therapy (2016) - This was a 2-CD set.
- Tattoo Burn – Redux (2017) - A re-release of Tattoo Burn.
- Turquoise Blue (2022)
- Dreamcatcher [5-song EP] (2024)
