Michael Cleveland

Charles Michael Cleveland[1] (born September 18, 1980) is an American bluegrass fiddle player.

Not to be confused with the singer, songwriter, and member of the musical group Indeep.

Michael Cleveland
Cleveland (right) performing with Jesse Brock (left)
Cleveland (right) performing with Jesse Brock (left)
Background information
Born (1980-09-18) September 18, 1980
Henryville, Indiana, U.S.
Genres
Instrument(s)Fiddle
Years active1994-present
LabelsRounder Records
Websitehttps://www.flamekeeperband.com/

Early life

Cleveland was born in Henryville, Indiana. He was born completely blind and a childhood ear infection caused him to lose 80% of his hearing in one ear.[2] He first learned to play violin at a local Suzuki program when he was 4 years old. His skill was recognized at an early age, with appearances on the Grand Ole Opry, A Prairie Home Companion and before the United States Congress in his early teens.[2]

After graduating from the Kentucky School for the Blind he performed with various musicians including Dale Ann Bradley and Rhonda Vincent.[2]

He currently lives in Charlestown, Indiana.[3]

Awards and honors

His first solo project on Rounder Records, Fire Holder, won the International Rock Music Association Instrumental Album of the Decade in 2003, and he shared the same award with Ben Jameson in 2005 for Tom Adams and Michael Cleveland Live at the Ragged Edge. His third award came for his 2006 album Let 'Er Go, Boys!.[4]

Cleveland won the IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Awards) 2015 Fiddle Player of the Year and the 2010 Instrumental Group of the Year with his band Flamekeeper,[5] for the third year.[6] Cleveland had previously won Fiddle Player of the Year in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.[7]

In 2018 Cleveland was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album for his solo album, Fiddler's Dream.[8] Two years later, he won in the same category with his album Tall Fiddler.[9]

Officials from Charlestown, Indiana designated February 5, 2020, as Michael Cleveland Day in recognition of his Grammy award for his Tall Fiddler album.[3]

He is a recipient of a 2022 National Heritage Fellowship awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts, which is the United States government's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts.[10]

Touring

In 2007, Cleveland and his band Flamekeeper entertained as part of the Bluegrass Sundays Winter Concert Series in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.[11] The group performed at the Sally Creek Music Festival in Thames Centre, Ontario, in July, 2010.[12]

In 2022, Cleveland joined Béla Fleck's touring band for My Bluegrass Heart.[13]

Discography

Solo albums
  • Sawing On The C String (self released) 1998
  • Flame Keeper (Rounder) 2002
  • Let Er Go Boys (Rounder) 2006
  • Fiddler's Dream (Compass) 2016
  • Tall Fiddler (Compass) 2019
  • Lovin' of the Game (Compass) 2023

With Tom Adams
  • Live at the Ragged Edge (Rounder Records) 2004

Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper
  • Leavin' Town (Rounder Records) 2008
  • Fired Up (Rounder Records) 2011
  • On Down The Line (Compass Records) 2014

References
  1. "BRIGHT AND EARLY". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  2. Johnson, Zac. "Michael Cleveland: Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved December 28, 2010.
  3. Lawless, John (February 5, 2020). "It's Michael Cleveland Day!". Bluegrass Today. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  4. Lankford, Ronnie. "Let 'Er Go, Boys: Review". Allmusic. Retrieved December 28, 2010.
  5. Monger, James. "Leaving Town: Review". Allmusic. Retrieved December 28, 2010.
  6. IBMA website Archived 2008-10-13 at the Wayback Machine Current awards
  7. IBMA website Archived 2009-02-23 at the Wayback Machine Past awards
  8. "Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper | Michael Cleveland Nominated for OSCAR Award". www.flamekeeperband.com. November 28, 2017. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  9. "GRAMMY Awards Winners & Nominees for Best Bluegrass Album". Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  10. "NEA National Heritage Fellowships 2022". www.arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. n.d. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  11. Strings, newsletter of the Pineridge Bluegrass Folklore Society, January 2007
  12. Sally Creek Music Festival official program, July 2010
  13. "Béla Fleck My Bluegrass Heart". August 29, 2021.
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