article_title background image origin name
michael bradford
 non_performing_personnel mb-tbird viperroom.jpg detroit , wayne county , michigan , united states michael bradford
michael bradford

michael bradford -lrb- born 1961 , detroit , wayne county , michigan , united states -rrb- is an american musician .
he was born and raised on detroit 's east side , an area that was once a working-class neighborhood , but quickly deteriorated into decay after the city 's tumultuous riots in 1967 .
the late 1960s and early 1970s were also a remarkable time in detroit for music .
the motown sound was sweeping the nation , but also local bands like the rationals , bob seger and the frost were getting constant exposure on local radio , along with rock from bands like the james gang , sly and the family stone and vanilla fudge .
many of these bands performed at a local concert venue , the eastown theatre , on harper avenue .
the theatre was a converted movie theatre , and was a short distance from the bradford home .
due to the influence of the rock crowd , the theatre had gotten a reputation for being `` one of the city 's most notorious drug-infused rock venues '' .
michael 's early exposure to rock music made him want to pursue a career in rock , rather than the more obvious choice of r&b .
in 1973 , michael was admitted to university liggett school , a private school in grosse pointe michigan .
classmates included jeffrey eugenides , who would go on to write `` the virgin suicides '' and `` middlesex '' .
michael stayed at uls , graduating from the 12th grade in 1978 .
