1. Ty Stone. Detroit native. Country rocker. Powerhouse singer. Songwriter.
Musician. All-American bad ass.
Stone’s concerts are a full-tilt roller coaster, country-rock ride
with the crowd on their feet rocking it out to his monster-note hitting,
chainsaw voice full of constant intensity.
His 2012 Atlantic/Top Dog Records debut album American Style
was executive produced by Kid Rock, who discovered Stone’s music at a
Detroit Pistons game. A pal of Stone’s got up the courage to approach Kid
Rock courtside, insisting that he listen to Stone’s CD. Stone was living in
Los Angeles at the time and working the kitchen at fabled Molly Malone’s
pub. On nights when bands canceled, Stone would get on stage and raise
the roof wearing his apron. The next thing he knew, Kid Rock was in L.A.
inviting him to dinner with record producer Rick Rubin.
From that moment, Kid Rock was an imperative player in the
creative backing for American Style. Stone insists that the rock star’s
executive producer credit is nothing to easily dismiss.
“I’d say we recorded 80 percent of American Style at his house,
and every single day I’d look through the glass and he’d be sitting there
at the console,”Stone recalls on his website, tystonemusic.com.“He literally
worked side by side with Brian Irwin and MarlonYoung on the eight tracks
we did there.”
Kid Rock supported the new artist in other ways, too. He had
Stone move from L.A. back to Detroit – sending a limo to pick him up
from the airport, of course – and set him up in a room next to the American
rocker’s.Ty Stone lived right next to Kid Rock for the next four months. He
also gave Stone an opening-act gig for his two arena tours. While a Kid
Rock audience isn’t always the easiest to please, Stone’s Michigan roots
and strong vocal performance kept the crowd rocking in their boots.
In October 2013, Stone launched his music video“Faith In Love”
on CMT.com. Within weeks, MTV.com had it streaming.The video features
Stone’s friends and well-known Detroit musician’s Christian Draheim,
John“Wolf”Abel, Bryan Reilly, Mike Leslie, Pete Martinez, Morgan Brown
and Paulina Jayne.
Student filmmakers Cory Marlow Davis, Kyle Frances McNiff
and Ashley “Bossy” Benton produced the project through Madonna
University’s fourth year broadcast cinema arts Capstone film class. Luke
LaBenne served as director and Jon Gray was the cinematographer.
It was filmed at Detroit iconic historical buildings,Woods Cathedral
and Alger Theater.“We wanted to able to show the beauty of Detroit in
locations that may not seem beautiful, but really are. Our hope was to bring
awareness to this amazing architecture, which resonates in“Faith In Love,”
a rebirth if you will, in an area that can be rebuilt and is clearly loved by its
community,”Capstone location manager Lauren Mora says.
“Imagine this church with all this j-art (junk art), a beautiful,
truly symbolic dichotomy between the grime and the shine of this town
and its music,”Stone says.“Between the sinners and the redemption that
you hope they find one day.These locations were beautiful and worked on
many levels.”
In May,Stone released his highly anticipated album The Boulevard,
which he launched for a packed house at the historic Detroit music venue
Saint Andrew’s Hall. Stone shared the marquee with The Infatuations,
creating a dual album-release party. Everywhere you turned the Detroit
music scene was present and very much ignited, with the floors vibrating
from both music and fan appreciation.
Stone took a similar divergent approach, funding his album
through Kickstarter.“The great inspiration behind The Boulevard was my
fans, who reached into their pockets and spent hard-earned money on the
production of this album through Kickstarter. It touched me profoundly,”
Stone explains.“After their humbling display of support, I became a man
possessed to give them a true Ty Stone record. And that is what I feel I did.
Had they not inspired me to be my best, I don’t know if I would have ever
found my true 2014 voice.”
This year represents the next chapter for Ty Stone, the man and
the musician.A new marriage, a new album and a new start-up label, Minor
Label Records – a project that will allow Stone to focus on his love of great
Michigan talent. All of this bringing forth personal growth and change,
which he hopes is reflected on The Boulevard. — Jennifer Champagne
Ty Stone
FOR THE LOVE OF COUNTRYMICHIGAN NATIVE TY STONE FINDS FAME THROUGH DETROIT CONNECTIONS
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