The Music

For Michelle, family always comes first. When asked how she balances her career and her family life she said “very carefully.” "I try to give them everything I have to give. I am very family oriented… I am a mom first", she states. While many performers choose to stay on the road between festivals and gigs, Michelle prefers to go home between shows to be with her husband, her children and her friends.

Michelle formed the band Drive about five years ago. When asked how she assembled them, she responds, “I am really, really picky. We have to make it work on stage but we also have to make it work on this bus which often times is more difficult. Most of my band members contacted me or were referred to me by my existing band members.” As with everything in Michelle's life, her love for her band shows in her brilliant smile when she speaks about them. The same genuine smile that is open and inviting to anyone around her. This has resulted in a huge fan base—not just here in Virginia, but one which is growing around the country in the field of bluegrass music. Michelle responds to their outpouring of appreciation by remembering the fans each time she performs. The reward she receives is knowing that “I make my fans feel good and being appreciated by them”, she says with that smile. She tells the stories of fans coming up to her after a set and telling her that she has touched their heart or that her music got them through a rough time in their lives.

Michelle is signed with Pinecastle Records which was founded by Tom Riggs in 1990. “I was staying at the house of Tom T. and Dixie Hall, who are great friends and dear people, listening to their songs and picking some to record on the CD that I was doing at their studio.” It was the Halls who suggested that she sign with Pinecastle records. “I had a couple of other offers at the time but chose Pinecastle because they did not have any female artists at the time and the radio stations said they were good to work with and the Hall's stated that Mr. Riggs was honest”, says Michelle. She has a three CD contract with Pinecastle and enjoys the artistic control which allows her to manage the artistic development of her music. Michelle only records with her road band. She believes that it is important to the band as well as to the fans that what you see on stage is the same as what you hear on the CDs.

Being signed to a national independent label gives Michelle a considerably broader distribution and more exposure. This is apparent with her current album “What More Should I Say”. All of the songs on this album are strong, vibrant and full of that Nixon energy resulting in Heart Of Stone being the most requested bluegrass song on XM radio for three consecutive weeks. The title song What More Should I Say, which features a duet with Bill Anderson, has also done great and the song I Know Rain has charted to number 10. Blue Kentucky Girl which is not only her most requested song but also her daddy's favorite is also on this album.

When it comes to bluegrass music Michele has several people that she admires. Lynn Morris is one of them. Lynn, who lives in Winchester, Virginia, is both a talented writer and musician. Lynn has won IBMA female vocalist of the year for three consecutive years and was fiddle player of the year even though her primary instrument is banjo. Other female bluegrass artists that Michelle admires are Rhonda Vincent and Alison Krauss who Michelle describes as an icon for everyone “having done things in bluegrass that no one else would have dared try.”

Michelle sees the bluegrass field as evolving. First, although there are more females entering the business, it is still a hard field for women to be accepted as this is often considered man's music. Michele believes that evolution or change to the music is good and that it allows artists to develop their own style. If bluegrass were all the same it would become a dying music. Change and variety in styles and sounds helps to draw the young people.