Jimmie Vaughan & The Tilt-A-Whirl Band with special guest Mike Morgan

<p>Jimmie Vaughan is far more than just one of the greatest and most respected guitarists in the world of popular music. As Guitar Player Magazine notes, “He is a virtual deity–a living legend.” After all, Vaughan provides a vital link between contemporary music and its proud heritage, as well as being a longtime avatar of retro cool.</p><p><br></p><p>Since releasing his first solo album in 1994, he has set the standard for quality modern roots music. Throughout his career, Vaughan has earned the esteem of his legendary guitar-playing heroes and superstar peers along with successive generations of young players. His musical ethos and personal style have had an impact on contemporary culture, from spearheading the current blues revival with The Fabulous Thunderbirds to his longtime, innate fashion sense of slicked-back hair and sharp vintage threads (now seen throughout the pages of contemporary fashion journals) to becoming a premier designer of classic custom cars. But for Jimmie Vaughan, none of it is part of a crusade or a career plan. It’s just his natural way of living his life and pursuing the interests that have captivated Vaughan since his youth.</p>

A songwriter first and foremost, Mike Morgan has also served as a producer as well as a performer. A native of Southern Ohio, Morgan’s musical career began in the mid ‘60s when he was a member of a local rock ‘n’ roll band called The Truants, covering the songs of Johnny Rivers, a little bit of Beatles, some country and of course, in the early ‘60s tradition, playing “Louie, Louie” by the Kingsmen. “While The Truants was a fun thing to do at the time, and we have reunited for special shows, my heart has always been in country music,” says Mike Morgan. “As a boy, I remember listening to the music of Hank Williams, Ernest Tubb, Ray Price, Merle Haggard, Buck Owens and George Jones.” Following high school, Morgan earned a BS degree from Eastern Kentucky University and an MS from the University of Dayton. He believes that songwriters are born not made, and to that end, spent a lot of time composing. Over the years he’s written with hit Nashville songwriters Ed Bruce, Jeff Elliott, Jan Buckingham, Carolyn Martin, Tom Fettke, Dianne Wilkinson, Jonell Mosser, Mark Brinkman as well as Bleu Jackson, Slaid Cleaves, Robert George, Ray Jessel, Donnie Blanz, Monte Wilson, John Foster, Linda Angeline, Anthony Matrumalo, and Everett Hale. Morgan and Elliott have been friends since their high school days and have written extensively together over the years garnering numerous successful songs. His song “The Feel of Bein’ Gone” has been recorded by Conway Twitty, Ed Bruce and several other artists. Ed Bruce has also recorded “The Tracks You Left On Me” and “Truth Is I’m A Liar.” Additionally, Bud Logan, Doc Holliday, Hylo Brown, Governor Jimmie Davis, Slaid Cleaves, Robyn Young and many others have recorded songs written by Morgan. He and Jeff Elliott also wrote the music for “Billy Bob Loves Charlene” a play that ran off-Broadway in New York City. Mike Morgan began his professional songwriting career with Southern Arts Music in Nashville, later joining Ed Bruce’s publishing company, Home At Last Music. He’s also written for Greene Pastures Music, a company owned and operated by Ann and Nat Stuckey, and Sony ATV Music. As a recording artist he cut “Walker’s Woods” in the early ’70s that became a regional hit and still receives classic country play throughout the Internet and on many country gold radio stations. That single was produced by Ed Bruce and released on UAI Records. Working on the other side of the glass as a record producer, Morgan has twisted the dials for Ed Bruce, bluegrass group Whetstone Run, Appalachian string band group Home Remedy, Megan McKee and independent artists Paul Hanks and Walt Cook. Mike Morgan is a pro member of the Nashville Songwriters Association International and speaks to groups about the process of songwriting and about songwriting in general.