Michael Martin Murphey was born in Oak Cliff, Texas, on March 14, 1945, and grew up in Dallas. He had fondness for cowboy stories and songs as well as books by Mark Twain and William Faulkner. At the University of California, he studied poetry and writing which laid the foundation for his songwriting contract with Sparrow Music. By 1964, he had his own band, the Trinity River Boys, and the group played in folk clubs around Los Angeles. Three years later, Murphey put together another group, the Lewis & Clark Expedition. The band's self-titled debut album produced the song "I Feel Good (I Feel Bad)."
In 1968, Murphey found himself in the San Gabriel Mountains and enjoying some significant success as a songwriter for Screen Gems. Popular artists including Monkees, Flatt & Scruggs, Bobbie Gentry and Kenny Rogers recorded his songs. By 1971, he joined the roster at A&M Records and released his first solo album, Geronimo's Cadillac in 1972. In keeping with the Wild West he loved so much, Cosmic Cowboy Souvenir soon followed. In 1975, he released Michael Murphey on Epic Records. Blue Sky-Night Thunder followed that same year. "Wildfire," his first gold record and a No. 3 pop single was released. Swans Against the Sun included his first country hits-"A Mansion on the Hill" and "Flowing Free Forever." Murphey's song "Cherokee Fiddle," sung by Johnny Lee, was featured in the Urban Cowboy movie.
The albums Michael Martin Murphey and The Heart Never Lies were released in the early 1980s. "Carolina in the Pines" charted in the Top 10 in 1985. On Warner Bros. Records, Murphey released Tonight We Ride. With Grand Ole Opry member Holly Dunn, he recorded "A Face in the Crowd," which was nominated for the Country Music Association's vocal duo of the year in 1987. In 1989, Murphey's "Never Givin' Up on Love" was featured in the Clint Eastwood film Pink Cadillac. Two years later, he indulged his love for cowboy music with the album Cowboy Songs, a collection of traditional and popular tunes of the West. Fans enjoyed his versions of such classics as "The Yellow Rose of Texas" and "Tumbling Tumbleweeds."
Today, Murphey's career and music are centered solely on the cowboy stories he loves so much. His annual event West Fest brings together singers, storytellers and fans who love the lure and lore of the American West. In 2005, he shared a collection of tunes, Storm Over the Rangelands, about ranching in today's modern world.
Latest CD
Tall Grass and Cool Water