The Mission

MISSION (Promo Video)

The godfather of swamp stomp, recording artist and producer Iron Mike Norton is consistently described by peers and critics as one of the most innovative and creative artists in the blues genre today. Iron Mike combines elements of modern styles like hip hop, rock and techno with traditional hill country slide guitar blues. The result is a sound truly unique to Iron Mike alone.

Mike began his professional career while still in his teens as a bass player and sound engineer in the Tampa hard rock and metal scene. From there he went on to front a modestly successful country act that signed with Five Roses Records in 1995 and performed on the road with countless country legends like Willie Nelson,
Lyle Lovett, and Wynonna Judd.

Inspired by the sounds his friend and legendary slide guitarist Sonny Landreth, Iron Mike left the country music genre and began to study slide guitar and the style
of Landreth specifically.

Referred to as the “Rob Zombie of the blues”, Iron Mike Norton broke onto(or perhaps more accurately “into”) the blues scene in 2000 (as Michael Shaun Norton)
with his debut CD Spooky & The Blue Voodoo Tribe. The release grabbed the attention off blues critics across the United States with its dark themes, over the top guitar work and Mike’s uncommonly powerful roadhouse vocal style.

In 2002 Michael signed with the now defunct B&M Records and released 3 more CD’s that further cemented his image as a blues outlaw. With songs like Spooked,
Dead Man’s Stomp, and a remake of Landreth’s Congo Square, Michael continued to build his legacy of dark and somewhat foreboding music, delivered in a high
energy package.

In early 2006, Iron Mike moved to GFO Records where he not only recorded more albums, but began working as a producer. Beginning with his release “Sledge”,
media attitudes about Iron Mike have sharply shifted. No longer referred to as an outlaw or outcast of the genre, many see Mike is a pioneer and innovator,
breathing new life into a genre that some believe was on the decline.

In late 2007 Mike moved away from the blues and recorded his first progressive rock CD “Live Free or Die” featuring several tracks demonstrating his technical
slide guitar wizardry, expanding Mike’s audience to include fans of more progressive acts like Joe Satriani and Steve Vai.

All seemed to be going well until a severe motorcycle wreck in early 2010. While still in a wheel chair, Mike began writing and eventually recorded a traditional 2
piece Mississippi style project. The end result is the successful blues cd “Dirty South”, which features a raw deep south style of blues normally associated with the likes of R.L. Burnside and Hound Dog Taylor.

In 2012 Iron Mike finds himself in high demand and working harder than ever. With the success of his CD “Bad Monkey”, Mike is juggling live performances with his ever expanding work as a producer for other artists. With credits for writing and producing soundtracks for television and other media, it seems like Iron Mike is
everywhere.

“When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way.

Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.”

http://www.ironmikenorton.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ironmikenorton/app_2405167945

http://youtu.be/B7mRm1jluYc

http://youtu.be/qRn2olxj83k