Bio - Mike Corrado
At a glance, award winning singer/songwriter Mike Corrado garnered national radio and television airplay after releasing his song “On My Watch Tonight.” The song which features guest vocals from multi-platinum artist Edwin McCain is the story of a Marine’s journey from Boot Camp to the front lines is quickly becoming an anthem for service men and women serving to protect our country and their families. Mike has recently been featured internationally on CNN and nationally on multiple cable On-Demand channels.
Here’s more:
Can military men storm the stage of rock and plant their flag in the spotlight? Singer/songwriter, Mike Corrado puts the question to bed with his pop-rock sound and proven radio success. Mike, who has proudly served his country for years, has both the discipline of a Marine and the musical chops and vocals to back it up.
Mike Corrado began performing in the bars and clubs along the North Carolina coast while stationed in North Carolina with the Marines. Upon completion of his active duty commitment, Mike, along with friend, drummer and fellow Marine Stacey Lamont Sydnor turned in their rifles for instruments and life on the road. They began developing a strong grass roots following in the Southeast by performing 200-250 dates a year across the country as headliners and opening act for artists like John Mayer, Edwin McCain, Train, Derek Trucks and many more. The relentless touring and radio play in the southeast, propelled independent CD sales and an ever-increasing fan base.
For four years, Mike, Lamont and the band continued their grueling tour schedule and uncompromising work ethic until the events of September 11, 2001 which changed many people's lives forever, Mike's included. He was recalled back to active duty with the Marine Corps. The band's 4th CD Ziller and the Baboon was set to be released on September 12th, 2001. The events of the day prior and news of being called back onto active duty resulted in canceling the CD release tour which included dates in New York, Boston, Washington, DC and throughout the Southeast.
The temporary hiatus from the road and demanding schedule with the Marines left little time for music, but Mike took time to reflect, write and record every chance he could. The result was a series of songs for the CD Falling Awake, which was released in March 2005.
During an interview with Eastern Carolina's WRHT/WCBZ 96.3 & 103.7 FM morning show, host Greg Brady spun "My Watch" and the phone lines lit up. The song made it's way from the morning show to full rotation after beating out Trapt's "Echo," Alicia Keys' "If I ain't got you," Kayne West's "All falls down" and Joss Stone's "Fell in love with a boy" on the station's nightly Big Ass Battles.
"My Watch" was posted on the HOT Morning Show's website and began receiving up to 5,000 downloads a week. Calls and e-mails continued to flood the station as military members, family members and fans were downloading the song and sending it to service members and loved ones across the country and deployed around the world.
One week after the release of Falling Awake, Mike was deployed for a one-year tour to Fallujah, Iraq, leaving behind his wife and three month old daughter. In March 2006, Mike returned to home to the states and once again teamed up with Lamont Sydnor, this time in Los Angeles, for a live performance video shoot for www.rehearsals.com The Rehearsals shoot lead to an audition for the NBC show Star Tomorrow. Star Tomorrow was an online band competition where Mike and the band placed in the top 20 acts in the nation.
Television:
•CNN-Mike was featured on CNN’s I-Report Caught on Tape after CNN got hold of his song and video of “On My Watch Tonight” (interview/video/live performance)
•Mike’s song “Damn” from the CD Falling Awake appeared on WGN Superstation’s brand new show Whittaker Bay (air date 26 Jan 2008)
•Mike and his song “On My watch Tonight” appear in an episode of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (air date 10 Feb 2008)
•Mike participated in NBC.com’s hit band competition Star Tomorrow, placing in the Top 20 acts in the country.
•Mike’s videos were recently featured nationwide on Comcast Cable’s Music On Demand on the all new RehearsalsTV section. These videos were shot live, filmed and recorded in high def in Burbank, CA.
•KSHB, NBC TV, Kansas City Live, Kansas City, MO (live performance)
•FOX 25, Boston, MA (live performance)
•Mike’s video for “On My Watch Tonight” featuring pictures taken during his deployment to Iraq has been featured on News Channel 40 NBC TV, Atlantic City, NJ
•Mike’s Concert DVD: Live at Thalian Hall aired nationally on ConcertTV through cable’s Video-On-Demand reaching nearly 10 million viewers all across the country.
•His song “Get By” was featured on the hit CBS drama Joan of Arcadia, Episode 15, April 2005.
•Mike is featured on www.rehearsals.com which features live concert footage, interviews and behind the scenes footage.
•The video for “On My Watch Tonight” is featured on Xerox’s http://www.letssaythanks.com a letter writing campaign program which supports U.S. Troops.
•The video for “On My Watch Tonight” placed first on WWW.FAMECAST.COM making Mike the first military Famecast Fenom.
Radio:
•Stations that have interviewed and played the "On My Watch Tonight" single include: WRHT, New Bearn, NC, WERO, New Bern, NC, WKSE, Buffalo, NY, WIXX, Green Bay, WI, WLAN, Lancaster, PA, WCGQ, Columbus, GA, KMXV, Kansas City, MO, WGNI, Wilmington, NC and more.
•Corrado has also been a guest on several Clear Channel talk stations, including: 700 WLW Cincinnati, OH, KMED in Medford, OR, WOAI in San Antonio, TX, KGET in Bakersfield, CA, KQNT in Spokane, WA, KFYR in Bismarck, ND
•In addition, he has appeared on: ABC Radio Dallas, XM Satellite Radio, The John Boy and Billy Show syndicated to 17 states on 97 stations, The (BBC) Gary Burbank syndicated Network, The Right Defense, hosted by Jerry Newberry on the ESPN Radio Network and broadcast to 18 markets including Washington DC, Seattle WA, San Antonio TX, Kansas City, MO, Star Dust Radio, Riverside, Iowa, ESPN Radio AM 630, Wilmington, NC
View Mike Corrado's EPK
Long Bio - Mike Corrado
If you want the whole story and get caught up on what may or may not have brought you here today, please read on:
1992-I bought a guitar, learned 3 chords and started writing songs while at The Citadel. Graduated and joined the Marine Corps to lead our nations finest and see the world.
1993-wrote the song “Sacrifice” after a friend of mine was shot and killed during a training accident while attending the Marine Officer Basic School. That song would later appear on my first CD and later, a full band version on Spinning Your World Upside Down.
1994-One weekend, I convinced the owner of the Brass Pelican in Topsail Beach, NC to let me open for a local Southern Rock band. A 30-minute opening set led to every Sunday on the deck. Lots of cover songs and a few originals, which led to the first CD.
1995-I took leave and flew to Anaheim, CA to record A Drink, A Smoke, A Laugh and A Smile. After recording, I set out on a 6-month float with the Marine Corps. I received the first copies of the CD while at a port call in Rio de Janeiro and sold them all to the Marines and Sailors aboard the USS Ashland. Came back to the states, put together a band and started playing clubs along the North Carolina Coast. Now headlining the Brass Pelican, (max capacity 50) and feeling good about it, I started to play more clubs during the weekends. The guys I was playing with at the time thought we needed a “band” name so we adopted the very hip Easily Suede-I was pretty proud of that one. Come to find out the drummer I had met in the local area had a crack problem and was pilfering band equipment. He failed to show up one night, so a Marine I knew recommended Lamont Sydnor who was also on active duty at the time with the 2d Marine Division Band. Lamont joined us for a gig and everyone was amazed. He said he knew some friends, to include sax player Joe Yankel-also a Marine, so I left the mighty Easily Suede and we started rehearsing in the band hall at Camp Lejeune after hours. The first drummer was not heard from again until news of his death several months later.
1996- I had a CD so we learned the tunes, tacked on "Band" and became the Mike Corrado Band. Played more shows along the coast and started packing places out. We would play a show on a weeknight in Virginia or South Carolina and be back in time for 06:30am formations.
1997-Marked the end of Lamont, Joe and my active duty service with the Marines. We met Joe Main who would become our road manager and teach us how to be a touring band and hit the road full time. We recorded the Mike Corrado Band EP and later, attracted the attention of JT Bosch a radio programmer for WRHT. JT saw the band, put in a good word to a Joe Tronto, owner of The Attic in Greenville, NC who had us open for a few nationals most notably, Edwin McCain, who I had known since my days at The Citadel in Charleston, SC.
1998-Went into the studio to record Spinning Your World Upside Down, which produced our first radio, hit "Damn." It spent seven weeks in the top 5 and three weeks at #1 on WRHT and WCBZ. Sold thousands of CDs and attracted the attention of Bill Reid and the folks at Rising Tide Production in Virginia Beach. Rising Tide put us in front of acts like John Mayer, Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians, Susan Tedeschi, Robert Cray and more, which introduced us to a much broader fan base. 1998 was also the year Gary Wooten joined us on lead guitar.
1999- starting to become well known for the live show, we recorded the live CD Shake'em at Peasant's Café in Greenville, NC, an East Carolina University live music staple. New Year's Eve 1999 was the last show with the line up of Lamont, Joe, and I for a while, while Joe went to school and Lamont moved to Richmond to play with Grady's Hat and pursue his college degree.
2000-I headed out on a West Coast tour with John Wade-drums, Travis Dent-keys, Gary Wooten, Steven Thorne on sax and new bass player Kent Hobson. Traveled to Los Angeles, San Diego, Hollywood and Mammoth Lakes and learned a lot about life on the road, begging for food, paying to play and sleeping in the van or on someone's floor on a good night. Made it back alive and crossed paths with Edwin McCain again who put us in a studio and helped us record two songs, which became pre-production tracks for the next CD.
2001-Saw the return of Lamont, the departure of Gary and return to the studio to record Ziller and the Baboon (named by Kent after a Tom Robbins book) with a little help from Adrian Duke on Hammond, Harold Smith on keys, Tommy Brothers & Jon Lassiter on guitar and Jason Merritt producing. The CD was set to hit the street September 12, 2001 and we had a CD release tour set for the East Coast to include; Washington, DC, New York City, Virginia Beach and all over North & South Carolina. The events of September 11 changed the world and the band forever. On 9/11/01, the first call I got was from Lamont telling me to turn on the TV. Soon after my fiancé received a call from the Air Force, as she was a flight medic in the USAF Reserve, mobilizing her back to active duty. Then I got a call from the Marine Corps calling me back to active duty. We were lucky to be able to play a couple more shows including one with John Mayer before taking a hiatus from the road.
2002-Trained Marines and prepared for deployment. I married my wife Kate and three months later she was called off again, this time to Afghanistan. During all this, I penned the song "My Watch" which is a story of a Marine's journey from boot camp to the front lines. I performed it at the Norva in February playing an acoustic show with Edwin and Jeffery Gaines. The folks in Norfolk, a huge Naval town, got it and we all felt it.
2003-Still on active duty, I played a few more acoustic shows in my off time but mainly recorded and wrote my ass off in the studio I had built in my house. Around August, I decided that if we can't take the music to our fans by touring, we’d take it to their TVs. Six months of prep work and some shows with the Derek Trucks Band to get ready, I rented Thalian Hall Center for Performing Arts in Wilmington, NC and recorded the live DVD Live At Thalian Hall along with Lamont Sydnor-drums, Joe Yankel-saxes, Kent Hobson-bass, Adrian Duke-keys, Tommy Brothers-lead guitar and Lorreta Gray-backing vocals and special guest and friend of the road Kofi Burbridge from the Derek Trucks Band joining us with his amazing flute work on “Use Me.” Right after the show, Blake Scott and the folks at Star Trak Studios got busy on the mixing, editing and production of the DVD.
2004-Released the Live At Thalian Hall in March and the CD version in July. Re-recorded "My Watch" for the thousandth time and dropped off a copy to Greg Brady at WRHT 96.3, The Hot FM. He spun it during an interview on his morning show, and then the phone lines lit up and the e-mails poured in. The song made it's way from the morning show to full rotation after beating out Trapt's "Echo," Alicia Keys' "If I ain't got you," Kayne West's "All falls down" and Joss Stone's "Fell in love with a boy" on the station's nightly Big Ass Battles. "My Watch" was posted on the HOT Morning Show's website and began receiving up to 5,000 downloads a week. Calls and e-mails continued to flood the station as military members, family members and fans were downloading the song and sending it to service members and loved ones across the country and deployed around the world. "My Watch" was quickly becoming the anthem for US troops deployed around the world and those here at home who keep a watchful eye. The radio play caught the attention of Jim Stacy and Bill Scull at TriState Promotions. I had known Jim for about seven years and he finally said, “it is time.” Jim and Bill signed me to their new label EO-Records.
2005-Released my new CD Falling Awake just days before deploying to Iraq. Falling Awake contains works that came together over the past couple of years and is my first solo release since A Drink, A Smoke, A Laugh & A Smile back in 1995. Deployed to Iraq and spent a year at Camp Fallujah in the Al Anbar Province where I met and served with some great people in the Marine Corps, Army, Navy and Air Force.
2006-I returned back to the states and back to my family. My daughter was now 15 months old and I spent the next couple months getting reacquainted with my family and friends. Prior to leaving Iraq, I had seen a commercial on the Armed Forces TV for a songwriting competition for military personnel. I figured out a way to e-mail “On My Watch Tonight” and entered it into this competition headed up by Songs for the Soul Service and the Dallas Songwriters Association. In May, I had found out that I placed 1st in the “Pop” category. This lead to a publishing deal for the song, which then lead to a trip to Los Angeles to film for Rehearsals.com. I called Lamont, who is now living in L.A. and he assembled a band where we performed nine songs which were all filmed in high definition at the state of the art Center Stage Studios in Burbank, CA. The shoot at Rehearsals.com lead to an audition for the NBC.com reality band competition Star Tomorrow. I, once again, flew back to Los Angeles, this time from Kansas City where I had just moved to in May. Once again, Lamont had assembled a great band which I had met and rehearsed with the night before the shoot. We placed in the top 20 of the 100 bands that were chosen to perform in the competition. I would like to thank Macy Gray and all the cool folks at the Macy Gray Music Academy for allowing the band and I to get ready for the competition as well as Lamont, Tisha, Vashon, Angie and Jasmine for all their hard work they put into the ST filming. I would also like to thank everyone who voted for us and got us all the way into the Top 20.
Throughout the years, the band and I have been fortunate enough to share the stage with many artists both national acts as well as local or regional bands and artists. The following are many but by no means all of the acts we have performed with:
ANGIE APARO, BOB WEIR & RATDOG, COLLECTIVE SOUL, DEREK TRUCKS BAND, DONOVAN FRANKENREITER, EDIE BRICKELL & THE NEW BOHEMIANS, EDWIN MCCAIN, FROM GOOD HOMES, HOBEX, HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH, HOWIE DAY, INDIGINOUS, JEFFREY GAINES, JOHN MAYER, JUPITER COYOTE, KELLER WILLIAMS, PAT MCGEE BAND, ROBERT CRAY, RYAN CABRERA, SISTER HAZEL, SUSAN TEDESCHI, THE BLUE DOGS, TRAIN, VERTICAL HORIZON