Mike Abbott Bass Player 01865 20 14 25 / 07702 447 531
I was born in Leeds Yorkshire in 1951 and started my playing career in 1971. Initially I played the local Yorkshire pubs and clubs before moving on to work the US bases in Germany and the UK, the cabaret circuit of the time, Wakefield Theatre Club, Stockton Fiesta, Sheffireld Fiesta and support on theatre tours with Billy Fury and The Crickets.
In 1980 I married a Canadian girl, honeymooned in British Columbia and on my return to the UK started playing the UK Country Music circuit.
In the intervening 25 years I have played venues from Lands End to Peterhead and Great Yarmouth to Aberystwyth. Small pubs holding 20. 1,500 seater theatres and 5,00 at open air festivals.
The styles have been as varied, Square Dance, Line Dance, Traditional Country, Modern Country, Elvis Presley tribute show, Patsy Cline Tribute Show, Soul, Bigband Swing and light jazz background music.
In 2004 I spent 10 months on tour with British Country Singer / Songwriter Henry Smith and played just about every major festival in the UK. The same period saw me record two albums with Henry including Hello DJ the title track of which reached No 1 in the British Country Top 10.
For the past two years my regular gig has been with The Smokey Mountain Boys a 50s style country trio.
An interesting recent call was to play for the Theatre Show "Rave On" a Buddy Holly, Billy Fury, Gene Vincent, Everly Brothers tribute show.
As well as many live shows I have recorded with singer song writer John Soul (jazz blues soul), a six track CD with The Cutting Edge Big Band (Glen Miller style swing), The As We Hear It CD for Oxford country band Fallen Angels and The Sick Sober and Sorry and Holy Train CDs with The Smokey Mountain Boys.
