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Artist
Michael Osborn
12+ albums
bluesguitarrhythm and bluesinstrumentalharp
about
Michael Osborn - Guitar/Vocals/Songwriter Destined to become John Lee Hooker’s bandleader and lead guitarist — and a guitar hero in his own right — Michael Osborn and the blues first made each other’s acquaintance when Michael was a young teen in the mid-1960s. Friends with eventual blues greats Robben and Patrick Ford, Michael took up the bass guitar and played with the Ford brothers in blues, rhythm & blues and soul bands from 1967 through 1969. After Mike switched to rhythm guitar in 1970, he became a founding member of the famous Charles Ford Band, which featured Gary Smith on harmonica and Lou Bottini on bass guitar, in addition to Robben on lead guitar and Patrick on drums. In the ‘70s, Mike recorded with the Charles Ford Band and Charlie Musselwhite, and built his chops in various blues bands with Gary Smith, Mark Ford, Mixed Nuts (featuring Bonnie Raitt’s brother, David Raitt) and occasional Charles Ford Band reunions. In June of 1981, Michael became lead guitarist for blues legend John Lee Hooker, and toured all over North America, Europe, Japan and Brazil with John Lee for more than a dozen years. During this time Mike backed such stars as Robert Cray, Elvin Bishop, Brownie McGee, Willie Dixon, James Cotton and Charlie Musselwhite. Mike has also shared stages with such notables as Bonnie Raitt, Johnny Johnson, Albert Collins, Ry Cooder, Carlos Santana, John Hammond, Etta James, Curtis Salgado, and The Nighthawks. Mike has played – with John Lee Hooker and with
