Get to know… Mick Kyte

Mick Kyte has made a name for himself in our region as a dependable, talented songwriter with a large catalog of crowd favorites. Talk to any venue owner he's played for and they'll tell you he always arrives with a smile on his face and a great attitude - and that carries over to the crowd during each performance. Mick has been performing for years in our region and he shows no signs of slowing down, always in demand, from marinas and outdoor stages to clubs and listening rooms alike. If you want to hear what he sounds like, you're going to have plenty of chances to do so - he stays booked, so check his calendar and make plans to visit with him. Before you go, take a few moments and get to know Mick Kyte. When did you decide music was going to be a big part of your life, and how did you first get involved? "My dad was a musician. He played guitar and sang in Bluegrass bands and Southern Gospel quartets. Some of my earliest memories are of him playing and singing and going to band practice with him on Thursday nights. I have strong memories of him getting his guitar out when we had friends and family over and it seemed like everyone was hanging on every note and every song. Right then I knew that music was something I wanted to do with my life." Is your current project a first, or have you been involved in other things? "I didn't actually start playing until I was in college. I had tried to pick up guitar over the years before that but I have a terrible ear and couldn't hear the differences in different notes or chords. I needed an elective credit to graduate college so I took a 'History Of Country Music' class taught by Jack Tottle and in that class I met Dr. Ron Baisden. I told Ron about the struggles I'd had learning music and he bet me that he could teach me to play blues harmonica. I took him up on it and within a couple of months he had me sitting in with some of the blues bands that were playing on Walnut Street in Johnson City. After that, music started making more sense in my brain and I began to pick up guitar and writing songs. I've had a few duos that I've played in, but mostly I've always been a solo performer." What is it about music that makes you want to perform or be involved? "I love watching people light up when they hear a song they like. I like it when an audience asks me to play them some of my original songs. I love the way songs connect people and that's probably the reason I enjoy playing cover songs so much. My rule is, if I don't like a song I won't learn it, so everything I play is something that I really like or is close to my heart. It's an awesome experience when those songs also grab other people's memories or experiences. It just brings everyone together for three minutes at a time." How would you describe your music (band/project)? "I call what I do Appalachian Soul and that was actually the subtitle to my first CD 'Scars - An Appalachian Soul Primer' that I released in 2017. I call it Appalachian Soul because it describes all of the musical styles and influences that exist in these mountains we call home. From Old-Time music, Bluegrass, Country, Southern Rock, Rock and Blues, American roots type music has resonated through these hills and hollers and it all comes together in what my mind calls music and weaves together in my songs." Is this something you see yourself doing as a career? "At this point in life, music is my career. Since about 2010, I've earned a large portion of my income from music and as I get more advanced in age, it's the thing I focus on the most: advancing my reach and increasing my income through music. I'm playing close to 200 shows a year now, so you can pretty much say it's my full time job and I love it." What are your other interests? Do you have any surprise talents or hobbies? "Right now, when I'm not playing music I'm spending time with my wife Glenda. She has sacrificed a lot of nights and weekends while she has supported my music career so any free time goes to her. Before my schedule got as hectic as it is now, we used to spend a lot of time on our Harley and enjoyed being out in the open air. At my age, I've come to realize that I don't heal up as quickly as I did when I was a young man, so we've traded the Harley for a Jeep and get our fresh air in it with the top dropped back. I also used to spend a lot of time fishing bass tournaments and still kinda miss that a little, but there are only so many days in a week and music pays the bills a lot better than fishing does." Who are your influences/favorites (worldwide and local)? "My dad introduced me to the old country and bluegrass music that really shaped what I play and write today. The Texas songwriters like Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt and Billy Joe Shaver were huge to me. John Prine was also another who shaped how I look at songs and he taught me to not be so serious and to learn to laugh at myself. Dylan was a major influence, he taught me that you can make any two words rhyme if you drag them out correctly and that rules were meant to be broken." If you could tell people one thing they should know about you, what would it be? "That I really just want people to be happy and have a good time. I can promise them that I'm not taking myself that seriously. I feel like our job as entertainers and artists is to just make somebody's day a little bit easier to get through." How can people contact you about booking and information? "The easiest way to reach me is via email at MickKyte@hotmail.com, Facebook Messenger on my personal Mick Kyte page or by phone at 423-676-6328. My music is available on all streaming platforms and download sites."