Michael Lee & The Wartime Limousine
Born in Texas and raised on a healthy diet of Texas and Delta Blues, Michael Lee is not your ordinary guitar man. Michael spent much of his young life in blues clubs receiving his own Masters Degree education by watching and playing with Blues legends such as Andrew "Jr Boy" Jones, Freddie King, Buddy Whittington, John Mayall, Lucky Peterson and Willie Dixon. And on nights he was not in the blues clubs, he was down in the Ft. Worth stockyards, soaking in the country sounds which emanated from the honkytonks.
The diversity of that unique upbringing culminated in Michael evolving into the rare triple threat: he sings with passion, plays guitar from the soul, and writes songs of the heart. Featured on Season 15 of NBC's “The Voice”, his blind audition song “Thrill Is Gone” which Rolling Stone magazine described as “a wild eyed vocal that brought the crowd to a fever pitch.”
Following his season on “The Voice”, Michael was asked to be a featured performer in B.B. King’s Blues Band for 2019, joining legends that played with B.B. King himself for 35 years. Michael was also featured on their compilation record "Soul of the King," where he got to record B.B.'s greatest hit "Thrill is Gone.”
But again, he’s not your ordinary guitar man.
His singing style and voice make him a standout in an age where pop and country singers are king. So for his newest recording project, a 4-song cover EP for DFW-based label Skylark Soul Co., Michael enlisted the help of funk and soul production duo Silver Skylarks to help forge a new sound. After hearing their work with Bastards of Soul and Leon Bridges’ cover of “Like a Ship,” he knew that together with Danny Balis and Skin Wade they could craft the sound for the direction he wanted to head in.
Object of the Game was recorded at the legendary Niles City Sound studio in Fort Worth, Texas. Michael worked with some of DFW’s most accomplished musicians on this project including players like Grammy winners, Robert “Sput” Searight on drums and guitarist Mark Lettieri. Jordache Grant played keys.
Object of the Game connects his blues past with his soulful new path by delivering inspired covers ranging from a hard dusted approach to a Dancehall Reggae classic to a silky smooth take on the early 70s work of DFW legend Bobby Patterson. Michael says “At some point, if you’re fortunate, you realize the real game isn’t winning. It’s finding the courage to chase what matters, regardless of the outcome. Object of the Game is the sonic embodiment of that journey. A step in a new direction while holding onto the roots I cherish dearly.”
Object of the Game draws from where he’s been while indicating where he’s going and serves as the perfect appetizer for what’s next. Michael also plans to deliver an album of all new, completely original material as the main course (with Silver Skylarks back at the production helm) for 2025.