User:DaPegster/Mike Eldred

Mike Eldred Mike Eldred (Michael Kevin Eldred) is an American recording artist, concert artist and Broadway actor who has been performing across the United States since the late 1980’s. Born in Geneva, New York in 1965, Eldred was eight years old when his family relocated to Texas. He spent his school years in south Texas and completed one year of college as a voice major at Stephen F. Austin University before embarking on a professional singing career with the Contemporary Christian group TRUTH.

Eldred traveled and recorded (Wind of the Spirit [1985], Still The Truth [1986]) with TRUTH before moving to Nashville, Tennessee in 1987 to sign with Home Sweet Home Records (Word) recording 2 nationally released solo projects (Uncommon Love [1990], Never Stop [1991]) and 3 top ten CCM radio hits (Ready to Fly, I Open My Heart, and Lay It All on Him). Eldred also joined the STAMPS QUARTET, also known as HEARTLAND, recording for CBS in Nashville.

In the early 1990’s Eldred performed and recorded with THE GAITHER VOCAL BAND, SANDI PATTY, TWILA PARIS, STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN, and many other Gospel artists. He was a session singer performing background vocals in Nashville for most of the 1990’s recording for many country, gospel and pop artists including GARTH BROOKS, TRISHA YEARWOOD, GLEN CAMPBELL, AMY GRANT, VINCE GILL, SUZY BOGUSS, BRENDA LEE, and NEIL DIAMOND. He was often seen performing with the MUSIC CITY TONIGHT band with CROOK & CHASE on TNN.

Mike Eldred’s musical theater career began in 1994 when the 25th Anniversary Tour of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR starring TED NEELY and CARL ANDERSON stopped in Nashville and held auditions for new cast members. Eldred toured the United States with the show in the role of PETER until it closed at the PARAMOUNT in New York City in 1995. Other Broadway shows over the next decade include Frank Wildhorn’s THE CIVIL WAR and the original final cast of LES MISERABLES where he was seen in the leading role of Jean Valjean in 2003.

Since 2004 Eldred has been performing with symphony orchestras in the United States and Canada including Baltimore, Indianapolis, Fort Worth, Oklahoma City, Long Beach, Chicago, Houston, Cincinnati, Nashville, Toronto, Edmonton, and Ottawa. He has hosted and starred in holiday POPS events each December since 2005. Eldred toured for 2 years as a featured artist with DENNIS DEYOUNG; THE MUSIC OF STYX appearing on the PBS concert series SOUNDSTAGE in 2003. Eldred also toured as a featured artist with popular recording artist JIM BRICKMAN in 2005/2006. He has recorded and released two CDs (MIKE ELDRED, ME [2001], LET IT BEGIN [2006]). MIKE ELDRED, ME includes a duet with DENNIS DEYOUNG (Ave Maria) and LET IT BEGIN features the talents of recording artists and songwriters including BEBE WINANS, MARCUS HUMMON, JONELL MOSSER, ANDREA ZONN, MICHELLE NICOLO PRENTICE and MIKE REID.

In 2009 Mike Eldred co-founded a video production company based in Whitefish, Montana (ARTISTS NEW MEDIA) with his business partner David Pickeral. The company’s first HD DVD release AMAZING PLACE, THE NATURE OF MUSIC was released in December of 2009 and features many Montana based recording artists performing in the beauty of GLACIER NATIONAL PARK and the surrounding Flathead and Bitterroot Valleys.

In 2010 Mike is performing a concert of the music of his childhood inspiration JOHN DENVER after initially selling out 9 concerts in Flat Rock, North Carolina. A CD of THE VERY BEST OF JOHN DENVER is scheduled to be released in late 2010.