Cleveland, Michael

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MICHAEL CLEVELAND (AND FLAMEKEEPER)

  • From Louisville, Kentucky. He was born in Henryville, Indiana.
  • Blind from birth, he began playing fiddle at age 4.
  • 1993, gained national attention at age 12 when he appeared at the IBMA Awards Show with Chris Thile, Josh Williams and other youngsters. There he met Alison Krauss, who invited him to perform on the Grand Ole Opry that same year.
  • Also at the 1993 IBMA events, he jammed with another blind performer, Doc Watson, which became a highlight of the documentary film “Gather at the River.”
  • Hobby: he collects pocket knives.
  • 1998, recorded and released “Sawing on the C String”album (no label) at age 17.
  • 1999, graduated from high school and began performing with Dale Ann Bradley and Coon Creek.
  • 2000, joined Rhonda Vincent and the Rage.
  • 2001-2006, re-joined Dale Ann Bradley and Coon Creek.
  • 2002, released Flame Keeper album (Rounder).
  • 2006, after leaving Dale Ann Bradley’s band, he formed “Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper featuring Audie Blaylock.” Blaylock later formed his own band.
  • 2006, released Let’Er Go Boys album (Rounder).
  • 2008, released Leaving Town album (Rounder).
  • 2009, released a duet album with banjo player Tom Adams, Live at the Ragged Edge (Rounder).
  • 2008, was featured prominently on Vince Gill’s Grammy-winning project “These Days.”
  • 2011, released Fired Up album (Rounder). After the released of this album, the band underwent major personnel changes.
  • 2011, won his 4th IBMA Award for Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year (for “Going Up Dry Branch).
  • 2014 , released On Down the Line album (Compass).
  • 2016, released Fiddler’s Dream album (Compass).
  • 2017, won the IBMA Awards for Instrumental Recording of the Year (for Fiddler’s Dream).
  • 2018, was elected to the National Fiddlers Hall of Fame.
  • 2019, a documentary film titled “Flamekeeper: The Michael Cleveland Story” was released on Amazon Prime.
  • 2020, won the IBMA Award for Instrumental Group of the Year (his seventh in that category).
  • 2019, released Tall Fiddler album (Compass).
  • 2019, won his 12th IBMA Award for Fiddle Player of the Year. (He also won in 2001,2002, 2004, 2006,2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, and 2018).
  • 2020, won the IBMA Award for Instrumental Performance of the Year for the song “Tall Fiddler” (with Tommy Emmanuel).
  • 2020, won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album for Tall Fiddler (Compass).
  • 2022, was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts “National Heritage Fellowship,” the highest award offered in the United States for the folk and traditional arts.