Tsms Radio

Michael comes by his rootsy bonafides the authentic way, as a true son of the South. From age five, he grew up in Waveland, a small Gulf town in Mississippi that sits between New Orleans and Biloxi. “It’s a very humble, charming town. I loved growing up there,” he says. “My dad was not making any money,” Michael explains, “so my mother cleaned churches to try to pay the bills. We lived in a little camper that had holes in the floor. I remember if you looked straight through the hole in my bedroom floor, you could see the ground underneath. The funny thing is, I thought I had everything in the world. Looking back, all I owned were a few hand-me-down toys, but it didn’t bother me at the time.” When Michael turned 13, he was discovered by Ann McNair, a singer with both Gospel and Nashville roots. She gave him a guitar, showed him the first three chords, and taught him how to write songs. At 15, Ann got Michael his first indie record deal. But “I knew just being a singer wouldn’t put bread on the table. I also n