Michael Massey

In his acclaimed and brutally honest memoir published late last year, Michael Massey admits he has “no business being an author.” Yet the Madison-bred musician whose long resume includes stints as frontman for then-promising local rock bands Chaser and Boys in White wrote More to give hope to others struggling with alcoholism. If his wife, Robin, hadn’t taken him to the hospital on an October Saturday in 1993, “I would be dead from alcohol withdrawal — at 35,” Massey writes. Instead, he's been sober for three decades and won multiple Madison Area Music Awards. This book, however, ranks as his most impressive accomplishment yet. Seating is limited and registration is required, but Massey’s conversation with Doug Moe also will be livestreamed on Crowdcast.

media release: Live @ MTM: Michael Massey in Conversation with Doug Moe

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John Urban

A close-up of Michael Massey.

Michael Massey

About the book: When my eyes creaked open and tried to find focus, I didn’t know where I was. The room was dim, my wrists were tied to the bed rail, and the dull ache of a needle in my hand throbbed through the fog. Motionless and silent, I lay staring at the ceiling until everything started coming back to me—the hallucinations, my teeth were melting, the menacing trolls teetering around the bedroom; uncontrollable shaking while my wife, Robin, helped me take a shower; and the catatonic ride to the emergency department of Meriter Hospital. After being ushered into an exam room, my memory was a void until this silent, dim awakening moment.

Alcohol withdrawal can kill you, and I would have been a statistic had I not made it to the ER. I drank almost every day for nearly two decades and an obscene amount for a few years leading to this point. This is my story. Now twenty-nine years sober, I’m one of the lucky ones who lived to fight another day. Join me as I chronicle my journey through coming of age, rock and roll debauchery, a downward spiral into the depths of substance abuse, and then like a phoenix rising out of the ashes, the joy and accomplishments in my ongoing recovery.

If I can help encourage just one of those among you who are struggling or someone you love to see that it’s possible to make the change, to find your way out of that rabbit hole of alcoholism, and feel how beautiful life can be above ground, it will all have been worth it.

Michael Massey is a composer, singer, songwriter, pianist, performer and producer who has a story to tell. He has written or collaborated on over 350 rock, pop, country and instrumental songs as well as the score for the full length, Dracula, Rock Ballet. He has 5 critically acclaimed solo albums including Pop Album of the year 2006 and Unique Albums of the Year 2014 and 2018 at the Madison Area Music Awards. Michael has also won Instrumentalist; Piano at the same awards 2009, 2019 and 2020 as well as numerous ADDY, TELLY and WAVE awards for excellence in original music for advertising.

Musical accomplishments include five solo albums released to critical and popular acclaim. The first is an instrumental piano album, “Be Careful How You Say Pianist”, second, twelve fully produced pop songs in “Attack of the Delicious”, which won Pop Album of the Year 2006 at the Madison Area Music Awards, third, “The Present” which is piano arrangements of traditional Christmas pieces, fourth, the soundtrack to Dracula, A Rock Ballet, recorded live with a 7 piece band at the Overture Center in Madison Wisconsin and garnered Unique Album of the Year honors at the 2014 MAMA’s and most recently, “Naked”, 13 songs stripped to minimal production and the Unique Album of the Year winner at the 2018 MAMA’s.

Three other records, “Rainy River,” a five song EP by Massey, Ripp and Magellan, “Gifted At The Hula” by Americana band, “stop the clock,” the ten song 2019 release by rock band “Chaser” find Michael intimately involved with production, writing and performing.

Michael has recently published a memoir with an emphasis on recovery from alcoholism and life beyond substance abuse. He is performing with chanteuse Francie Phelps, with the dueling piano show, Piano Fondue, solo piano bar and vocals and keys with the rock band Chaser.

While maintaining a busy performance schedule, Michael is also known for his ability to write in virtually any musical genre including scoring, post, long form, theater, radio spots and television commercials. Clients for radio and television commercials include New Balance, Oscar Mayer, United Way, Jones Dairy Farm, Metra Chicago, Badgerland Financial, Summit Credit Union, Mercury Marine, UW Hospital and Clinics, Culver’s and many more.

Other accomplishments include original scores for short films, a score produced with Jack Letourneau for the computer animated feature, “Time, Space” for the Adler Planetarium in Chicago and a score for the University of Michigan Alumni, broadcast at the “Big House” in Ann Arbor. Michael is currently co-writing a sexy musical theatrical production with actor, writer, producer/director Suzan Kurry.