- Native of Meridian, Missisippi (the homeplace of Jimmie Rodgers).
- He is a master of the “Monroe-style” mandolin. He has been a member of several Grammy and IBMA Award-winning bands and also performs as a solo artist and A-list studio musician.
- 1970, worked with Hubert Davis and the Season Travelers.
- 1984-1988, he was an original member of the Nashville Bluegrass Band. He left the band after a serious bus accident in which he was injured.
- 1990, left Nashville, worked in New York’s Catskills Mountains as a cottage caretaker and bus driver
- 1991, recorded and toured with guitarist David Grier. They released one album together Climbing the Walls
(Rounder).
- 1995, joined Chris Jones’ band, the Night Drivers.
- 1996, joined John Hartford’s touring “String Band”and worked with him until his death in 2001.
- 2000, performed on the soundtrack to the movie “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” and appeared on the Down from the Mountain tour and album. He was one of the “Soggy Bottom Boys.”
- 2001, returned to the Nashville Bluegrass Band (replacing Roland White).
- 2006, released Stomp
album (Acoustic Disk).
- 2011, released “Rotten Taters” album (no label).
- 2012, formed a group with David Grier, Missy Raines and Shad Cobb called The Helen Highwater String Band.
- 2012, released a live album with guitarist/banjo player Joe Newberry titled Live
(no label).
- 2021, became an artist-in-residence at East Tennesse State University (teaching in their Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Studies program).
- 2024, released a duet album with Joe Newberry Home in My Heart (EMG).
Compton, Mike
