Mickey Joseph

His style is fresh yet comfortably familiar – a composite of the musical influences and life experiences that makes each song a message from the heart.

Mickey Joseph’s journey in developing his musical talents began with performances in high school talents shows. He also made the local circuit of talent competitions, a frequent winner for his footwork, particularly at the shows held at the Regal Theatre in Cincinnati. He later became the cornerstone for the weekly cable talent show, The Entertainer, where he wrote and performed the opening song for the show. It was through this show he met Gerald Brown, an original member of Shalamar. He and Gerald partnered to open for the Whispers in concert in Cincinnati, singing three of Mickey Joseph’s original songs.

Continuing to hone his craft, Mickey Joseph produced music both for himself and others, including 3 albums for local talent. His first album of his own works, Music Without Motive, included the single Read Your Mind, which turned Mickey Joseph into a wedding singer. A revised Read Your Mind appeared on his second album, Reasons, a collection of works by a man examining his perseverance in a love-gone-wrong relationship. In production now is Say Anything, with it’s no-holds-barred lyrics, and is due out in Summer of 2009. When asked about his obvious excitement for Say Anything, Mickey Joseph says, “This album will have some collaboratives on it with other artists that will expand the experience - new songs mixed with old styles and songs with new influences.” Contributing artists include PhostaChild.

Mickey Joseph credits his early musical influences to artists such as Michael Jackson, Luther Vandross, and Stevie Wonder – musicians from an era where lyrics were memorable for their message more than their repetition. He also notes that it was Herb Alpert’s trumpeteering that first influenced him to learn to play an instrument, and he learned to play all the percussions, piano and drums.

What does music mean to Mickey Joseph? “I live life through music – all genres. The lyrics of others speak to me; my lyrics speak for me to express those things I cannot speak. My music expresses a feeling – that’s what I follow, not trends. I think R&B has a place for music with a message.”