Mike Handley, Troubadour

Mike was born and raised in Tampa, is a fourth generation Floridian, and still lives in Tampa. He loves to entertain and will bring you to laughter and tears (but mostly laughter) with originals and covers of great but often obscure Americana, Folk and Classic Country songs. Sometimes you  laugh with him, sometimes at him, it's all good

Mike grew up in a home filled with music; of course, that music was Spike Jones, Ray Stevens, Alan Sherman, Smother's Brothers, Hee Haw, and Roger Miller.  Dad was a swing band drummer. Grandpa played C Melody sax, dulcimer, keyboards, and built a few various stringed instruments too.

Mike started in music at 12 with clarinet taking lessons from Junie Ferrell, Artie Shaw's alto man, through high school. As a bribe every other week was a guitar lesson.

Musical influences  include John Prine, Steve Goodman, Michael Smith, Jerry Jeff Walker, Fred Eaglesmith, Paul Thorn, Hayes Carll and so many more both famous and relatively unknown  great song writers.

In recent years has played Florida Folk Festival, South Florida Folk Festival, Barberville and Will McLean festival, among others.