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Michael Stanley (born Michael Stanley Gee; March 25, 1948 – March 5, 2021) was an American singer-songwriter, musician, and radio and television personality. As a solo artist and with the Michael Stanley Band (MSB), and Michael Stanley and the Resonators (MS&R), his brand of
heartland rock Heartland rock is a genre of rock music characterized by a straightforward, often roots musical style, often with a focus on blue-collar workers, and a conviction that rock music has a social or communal purpose beyond just entertainment. The g ...
was popular in
Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...
,
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
, and around the
American Midwest The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four List of regions of the United States, census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern c ...
in the 1970s and 1980s.


Early life, family, and education

Michael Stanley Gee graduated from Rocky River High School in 1966. He attended
Hiram College Hiram College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Hiram, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1850 as the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute by Amos Sutton Hayden and other members of the Disciples of Christ Church. The college is nonse ...
on a
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
scholarship A scholarship is a form of Student financial aid, financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, Multiculturalism, diversity and inclusion, athleti ...
and graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1970.


Career


Early career

While in college, Michael Stanley was in the band Silk (called initially the Tree Stumps), which released an album, ''Smooth As Raw Silk'', on
ABC Records ABC Records was an American record label founded in New York City in 1955. It originated as the main popular music label operated by the Am-Par Record Corporation. Am-Par also created the Impulse! jazz label in 1960. It acquired many labels bef ...
in 1969. A few years after his graduation, while working as a regional manager for a
record store A record shop or record store is a retail outlet that sells recorded music. Per the name, in the late 19th century and the early 20th century, record shops only sold gramophone records. But over the course of the 20th century, record shops sol ...
chain, Stanley released his first solo album, ''Michael Stanley'', on Tumbleweed Records in 1973. The album was produced by
Bill Szymczyk William Frank Szymczyk (; born February 13, 1943) is an American music producer and recording engineer best known for working with rock and blues musicians, most notably the Eagles in the 1970s. He produced many top albums and singles of the ...
and featured contributions from
Joe Walsh Joseph Fidler Walsh (born Joseph Woodward Fidler; November 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Best known as a member of the rock band Eagles (band), Eagles, his five-decade career includes solo work and stints in other ...
,
Todd Rundgren Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who has performed a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the bands Nazz and Utopia. He is known for his sophistica ...
,
Rick Derringer Richard Dean Zehringer (August 5, 1947 – May 26, 2025), known professionally as Rick Derringer, was an American musician, producer and songwriter. He gained success in the 1960s with his band, the McCoys. Their debut single, " Hang On Sloopy", ...
, and Joe Vitale. Its first song, "Rosewood Bitters," would become a lifetime fixture in Stanley's shows and was later recorded by Walsh in 1985. Stanley's second solo album, ''
Friends and Legends ''Friends and Legends'' is the second solo album by Michael Stanley. The album title refers to the backing musicians accompanying Stanley on the album, which was recorded at Applewood Studios in Golden, Colorado. The basic band on all tracks ...
'', released later in 1973 on
MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc. established in 1972, though MCA had released recordings under that name in the UK from the 1960s. The label achieved success in the 1970s through the 1980s, often by acquiring other ...
, was again produced by Szymczyk and included support from members of Barnstorm and
Stephen Stills Stephen Arthur Stills (born January 3, 1945) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Crosby, Stills & Nash; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; and Manassas (band ...
'
Manassas Manassas (), formerly Manassas Junction, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. The population was 42,772 at the 2020 Census. It is the county seat of Prince William County, although the two are separate jurisdi ...
, among others: Walsh, Vitale,
Kenny Passarelli Kenny Passarelli (born October 28, 1949) is an American bass guitarist. Passarelli was a founding member of the Joe Walsh-led band Barnstorm, co-writing the hit "Rocky Mountain Way". He later served as a contract player for a number of other ...
, Paul Harris,
Joe Lala Joseph Anthony Lala (November 3, 1947 – March 18, 2014) was an American musician and actor. In 1966, he co-founded the rock band Blues Image. Life and career Lala was born in Ybor City, Tampa, Florida, into a family of Italian-American bac ...
,
Al Perkins Al Perkins (born January 18, 1944) is an American guitarist known primarily for his steel guitar work. The Gibson guitar company called Perkins "the world's most influential Dobro player" and began producing an "Al Perkins Signature" Dobro in 2 ...
,
David Sanborn David William Sanborn (July 30, 1945 – May 12, 2024) was an American alto saxophonist. He worked in many musical genres; his solo recordings typically blended jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He began playing the saxophone at the age o ...
,
Dan Fogelberg Daniel Grayling Fogelberg (August 13, 1951 – December 16, 2007) was an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist widely known for his 1970s and 1980s soft rock hits, including " Longer" (1979), " Same Old Lang Syne" (1981), and " ...
, and
Richie Furay Paul Richard Furay (born May 9, 1944) is an American musician and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member (with Buffalo Springfield). He is best known for forming the bands Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Bruce Palmer, and Dewey ...
, with
J. Geils John Warren Geils Jr. () (February 20, 1946 – April 11, 2017), known professionally as J. Geils or Jay Geils, was an American guitarist. He was known as the leader of the J. Geils Band. Growing up in New York City, Geils became interested in ...
contributing to the production.


Michael Stanley Band

The Michael Stanley Band was formed by Stanley in 1974 with singer-songwriter and lead guitarist
Jonah Koslen Jonah Koslen is an American singer-songwriter and musician best known for his work with the Michael Stanley Band and Breathless in the 1970s and 1980s. Biography After graduating from Beachwood High School, Koslen joined the Cleveland, Ohio-bas ...
, former
Glass Harp A glass harp (also called musical glasses, singing glasses, angelic organ, verrillon or ghost fiddle) is a musical instrument made of upright wine glasses. It is played by running moistened or chalked fingers around the rim of the glasses. Each ...
bassist
Daniel Pecchio Glass Harp are a rock band formed in Youngstown, Ohio in 1968 consisting of Phil Keaggy, drummer John Sferra and bassist Daniel Pecchio. Early years Phil Keaggy was a member of a mid-1960s garage rock band called the Squires; one of their songs ...
and drummer Tommy Dobeck from the band
Circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicy ...
. Several personnel changes over the years, and by 1982, the group had evolved into a seven-piece band. Nicknamed MSB by their fans, the band set several attendance records at Cleveland area venues, including a record 20,320 at the
Richfield Coliseum Richfield Coliseum, also known as the Coliseum at Richfield, was an indoor arena located in Richfield Township, between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. It opened in 1974 as a replacement for the Cleveland Arena, and had a seating capacity of 20,27 ...
on July 20, 1979, and a record 40,529 for two Coliseum concerts on December 31, 1981, and January 1, 1982. The band's greatest achievement was a total attendance of 74,404 during a four-night stand at
Blossom Music Center Blossom Music Center, locally referred to simply as Blossom, is an outdoor amphitheatre in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, United States. The venue is the summer home of The Cleveland Orchestra and the site of the ensemble’s annual Blossom Festival. Blo ...
on August 25, 26, 30 and 31, 1982. The group reached the peak of their popularity nationally in 1981 when the single "He Can't Love You" from the album '' Heartland'' (written and sung by keyboardist
Kevin Raleigh Kevin Raleigh is an American singer and keyboardist best known for his tenure with the Michael Stanley Band. History Born in Cleveland, Ohio, on February 27, 1952, Raleigh came to local prominence in 1969 with the band Paper Sun, later known as ...
) made the
Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is a list of the 40 currently most popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "To ...
(#33 ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'', #27 ''
Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
'') and "In the Heartland" from the album ''
North Coast North Coast or Northcoast may refer to : Antigua and Barbuda * Major Division of North Coast, an urban area and major division in the parish of Saint John * North Coast, Barbuda, an administrative district of Barbuda Australia * New South Wa ...
'' went to #6 on Billboard's
Top Tracks Classic Vinyl is a Sirius XM Radio channel focusing on classic rock music mostly from the late-1960s to the mid-1970s, with the channel's name meant to indicate that it consists of music that first appeared on vinyl records. This encompasses mus ...
chart. Their video for "He Can't Love You" was the 47th video ever played on MTV. The band's last Top 40 hit was "My Town" in 1983. "My Town" has been played by the Ohio State University Marching Band since 1986. The special all-brass and percussion arrangement is a favorite in Ohio Stadium. The band dissolved in 1987 with 12 farewell shows at the
Front Row Theater The Front Row Theater was a 3,200-seat performance space in Highland Heights, Ohio, which operated from 1974 to 1993. Construction and opening The Front Row was located in Highland Heights, Ohio, in suburban Cleveland, on Wilson Mills Road j ...
in
Highland Heights, Ohio Highland Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The city's population was 8,719 as of the 2020 census. An eastern suburb of Cleveland, it is part of the Cleveland metropolitan area. History Highland Heights was originally par ...
(suburban Cleveland) during the 1986–87 holiday season. In 2004, the sketch comedy troupe Last Call Cleveland produced ''Michael Stanley Superstar: The Unauthorized Autobiography of the Cuyahoga Messiah'', a play which parodied Stanley's status as a local celebrity. ;Personnel * Michael Stanley – guitar, vocals *
Jonah Koslen Jonah Koslen is an American singer-songwriter and musician best known for his work with the Michael Stanley Band and Breathless in the 1970s and 1980s. Biography After graduating from Beachwood High School, Koslen joined the Cleveland, Ohio-bas ...
– lead guitar, vocals (1974–77) *
Daniel Pecchio Glass Harp are a rock band formed in Youngstown, Ohio in 1968 consisting of Phil Keaggy, drummer John Sferra and bassist Daniel Pecchio. Early years Phil Keaggy was a member of a mid-1960s garage rock band called the Squires; one of their songs ...
– bass, vocals (1974–79) * Tommy Dobeck – drums * Bob Pelander – keyboards (1976–87) * Gary Markasky – lead guitar (1978–83) *
Kevin Raleigh Kevin Raleigh is an American singer and keyboardist best known for his tenure with the Michael Stanley Band. History Born in Cleveland, Ohio, on February 27, 1952, Raleigh came to local prominence in 1969 with the band Paper Sun, later known as ...
– keyboards, vocals (1978–87) * Michael Gismondi – bass (1979–87) * Rick Bell – saxophone (1982–84) * Danny Powers – lead guitar (1983–87)


Television and radio

Stanley was the co-host of ''
PM Magazine ''PM/Evening Magazine'' is a television series with a news and entertainment format. It was syndicated to stations throughout the United States. In most areas, ''Evening/PM Magazine'' was broadcast from the late 1970s into the late 1980s. Orig ...
'' on WJW Channel 8 from 1987 to 1990 and its follow-up, ''Cleveland Tonight,'' until 1991. He also appeared on ''
The Drew Carey Show ''The Drew Carey Show'' is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from September 13, 1995, to September 8, 2004. Set in Cleveland, Ohio, the series revolved around the retail office and home life of "everyman" Drew Carey, a fictionaliz ...
,'' playing himself. Following a short stint on Cleveland radio station
WMMS WMMS (100.7 FM broadcasting, FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, serving Greater Cleveland and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio, commonly identified as "The Buzzard". Widely regarded as one of the most influen ...
, from 1990 until a few weeks before he died in 2021, Stanley was the afternoon drive disc jockey for
classic rock Classic rock is a radio format that developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, it comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the early-1990s, primarily focusing on comm ...
radio station
WNCX WNCX (98.5 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, featuring a classic rock format known as "98.5 WNCX". Owned by Audacy, Inc., WNCX serves Greater Cleveland and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio as a co-flagship statio ...
, in Cleveland. In 1993, he appeared on the Howard Stern Radio Show during one of his Birthday Shows and played Rosewood Bitters with Joe Walsh live.


Later musical career

In addition to his broadcasting career, after the breakup of the Michael Stanley Band, Stanley continued to write songs, record, and perform with bands (often with some former members of MSB), including Michael Stanley and Friends, the Ghost Poets, the Resonators, and Midlife Chryslers. In 2019, he estimated that the Resonators played about 25 shows yearly, many in
Northeast Ohio Northeast Ohio is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that comprises the northeastern counties of the U.S. state of Ohio. Definitions of the region consist of 16 to 23 counties between the southern shore of Lake Erie and the foothills ...
but also "from the East Coast to Atlanta to St. Louis." He released about sixteen more albums on
Razor & Tie Razor & Tie was an American entertainment company that consisted of a record label and a music publishing company. It was established in 1990 by Craig Balsam and Cliff Chenfeld. Based in New York City (with additional offices in Los Angeles and ...
or his label, Line Level.


Personal life

Stanley was married four times: to Libby Hill Blake, a teacher, from 1970 to 1990, when they divorced; to Mary McCrone, a television producer, for eight years until they divorced in about 2000; to Denise Skinner, a former marketing staffer, from 2002 until her death of cancer in 2011;A different date for Skinner's death, 2017, is listed in Stanley's ''Akron Beacon-Journal'' obituary (compare the 2019 ''Cleveland Magazine'' profile of Stanley saying 2011, both linked in the footnotes). The 2017 date appears wrong, based on an August 2012 source that discusses "Stanley’s wife, Denise Skinner, who died last September." https://www.mytownneo.com/article/20120805/ENTERTAINMENT/308059697 and to her best friend, Ilsa Glanzberg, an elementary school instructional aide, from 2017 until he died in 2021. He had twin daughters, Anna and Sarah, born in 1974, and five grandchildren.


Health and death

Stanley had a first heart attack in 1991, at age 43. In 2017, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Later that year, he suffered a second heart attack and underwent quadruple bypass surgery. Stanley died in his sleep on March 5, 2021, after suffering for seven months with lung cancer. He is buried in Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland, OH.


Awards and honors

*1987–1991 – either one, or "a couple," or eleven, local Emmy awards *2012 – Cleveland Association of Broadcasters Excellence in Radio Award *2019 – Cleveland Arts Prize’s Lifetime Achievement Award *2019 – The City of Cleveland renamed a section of Huron Avenue in
downtown Cleveland Downtown Cleveland is the central business district of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. The economic and cultural center of the city and the Cleveland metropolitan area, it is Cleveland's oldest district, with its Public Square, Cleveland, Publi ...
as Michael Stanley Way. *2021 – March 25, which would have been his 73rd birthday, declared Michael Stanley Day by the Cleveland City Council


Discography


Albums


Silk


Solo


Michael Stanley Band


The Ghost Poets


Post-MSB solo


Singles


Notes


References


Further reading

* *


External links

* * * * as Michael Stanley Gee * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stanley, Michael 1948 births 2021 deaths Hiram College alumni Radio personalities from Cleveland Musicians from Cleveland Singer-songwriters from Ohio Rocky River High School (Ohio) alumni Deaths from lung cancer