Michael Farrell (musician)
Encyclopedia
Michael Farrell is a keyboardist, musical director, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist best known for his work both recording and touring with Morrissey
and Macy Gray
.
. He attended John Carroll University where he won a Fulbright Fellowship to study at the University of Waikato New Zealand in 1991. He later received a Masters Degree from Syracuse University in 1993. After college, he moved to Los Angeles in 1993 to pursue music.
. Farrell and Gray opened for David Bowie
for 6 weeks at the end of 2003. Though he isn't a member of her band, Farrell still collaborates with Gray as a writer having contributed original material to her 2007 release, Big
, produced by Will.i.am
of The Black Eyed Peas
. They also recently recorded original material for ABC's Desperate Housewives
soundtrack.
. That tour featured worldwide festival and headline dates, including the Glastonbury Festival and the KROQ Inland Invasion. Subsequently, Farrell was the featured keyboardist and percussionist on the album Live at Earls Court
(where he is erroneously billed as 'Mikey V. Farrell), the "Let Me Kiss You
" and "I Have Forgiven Jesus
" single B-sides and the live concert DVD, Who Put the M in Manchester?
.
In the fall of 2005, Farrell recorded with Morrissey for his eight studio album Ringleader of the Tormentors
. The album, recorded in Rome, was produced by the famed Tony Visconti
. Farrell co-wrote 2 songs for those sessions; "At Last I Am Born" and "Sweetie-Pie", and played keyboards, percussion, guitar, trumpet and trombone. In support of the album, the band spent the summer of 2006 performing festival dates in Italy, Turkey, Germany, Holland, Croatia, Finland, Portugal, Switzerland, Hungary, Austria, France, and Spain.
After completing a comprehensive US, UK and European tour in support of Morrissey's Greatest Hits (Morrissey album)|Greatest Hits album in 2007, Farrell decided to leave the band to spend more time with his family. However, an earlier single recorded with Farrell, "That's How People Grow Up
", appears on Morrissey's newest album Years of Refusal
.
Farrell has toured with other artists such as Vanessa Carlton
and Vanessa Brown. Both for whom he played keyboards and guitar. At various times he has also shared the stage with Mariah Carey
, Melissa Etheridge
, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Ruben Studdard
, Dave Navarro
and Camp Freddy, RuPaul
, Ben Lee, Kimberly Locke, Anthony Rapp, Sally Kellerman, Jean Smart, Neil Patrick Harris
, Scott Record, and Dan Finnerty and the Dan Band.
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
and Macy Gray
Macy Gray
Macy Gray is a Grammy Award-winning American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress, famed for her distinctive raspy voice, and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday and Betty Davis.Gray has released five studio albums, with her fifth studio album, The Sellout,...
.
Early life
Farrell was born and grew up in Cleveland, OhioOhio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. He attended John Carroll University where he won a Fulbright Fellowship to study at the University of Waikato New Zealand in 1991. He later received a Masters Degree from Syracuse University in 1993. After college, he moved to Los Angeles in 1993 to pursue music.
Macy Gray
Farrell was the musical director/keyboardist for Grammy winning artist Macy GrayMacy Gray
Macy Gray is a Grammy Award-winning American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress, famed for her distinctive raspy voice, and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday and Betty Davis.Gray has released five studio albums, with her fifth studio album, The Sellout,...
. Farrell and Gray opened for David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
for 6 weeks at the end of 2003. Though he isn't a member of her band, Farrell still collaborates with Gray as a writer having contributed original material to her 2007 release, Big
Big (album)
Big is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Macy Gray, released in the United States on March 27, 2007 by Geffen Records. It is Gray's first studio album in four years....
, produced by Will.i.am
Will.i.am
William James Adams, Jr. , better known by his stage name will.i.am and occasionally by his other stage name Zuper Blahq, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, actor and producer...
of The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
. They also recently recorded original material for ABC's Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
soundtrack.
Morrissey
In 2004, Farrell joined Morrissey's band on the world tour in support of his platinum album You Are the QuarryYou Are the Quarry
-CD:-DVD:# "Irish Blood, English Heart" # "First of the Gang to Die" # "First of the Gang to Die" # "I Have Forgiven Jesus"...
. That tour featured worldwide festival and headline dates, including the Glastonbury Festival and the KROQ Inland Invasion. Subsequently, Farrell was the featured keyboardist and percussionist on the album Live at Earls Court
Live at Earls Court
Live at Earls Court is a live album by Morrissey. Its sleeve notes state that it was "recorded live at Earls Court in London on the 18 December 2004 in front of 17,183 people."-Track listing:...
(where he is erroneously billed as 'Mikey V. Farrell), the "Let Me Kiss You
Let Me Kiss You
"Let Me Kiss You" is a song written by Morrissey and Alain Whyte. It was recorded by both Morrissey and by Nancy Sinatra, both of whom released their version as a single in the UK on 11 October 2004...
" and "I Have Forgiven Jesus
I Have Forgiven Jesus
"I Have Forgiven Jesus" is the title of a song written by Morrissey from his 2004 album You Are the Quarry. It was released in December 2004 as the fourth single from the album....
" single B-sides and the live concert DVD, Who Put the M in Manchester?
Who Put the M in Manchester?
Who Put the M in Manchester? is a DVD documenting a live performance by Morrissey. The homecoming concert took place at the Manchester Evening News Arena in Manchester, England, on 22 May 2004, Morrissey's 45th birthday.-Track listing:...
.
In the fall of 2005, Farrell recorded with Morrissey for his eight studio album Ringleader of the Tormentors
Ringleader of the Tormentors
-The Band:* Morrissey – vocals* Alain Whyte – guitars and backing vocals* Boz Boorer – guitars* Jesse Tobias – guitars* Gary Day – bass guitar* Matt Chamberlain – drums* Michael Farrell – piano, organ, keyboards, trumpet, trombone and percussion...
. The album, recorded in Rome, was produced by the famed Tony Visconti
Tony Visconti
Anthony Edward Visconti is an American record producer and sometimes a musician or singer.Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers; his lengthiest involvement with any artist is with David Bowie: intermittently from Bowie's 1969 album Space Oddity to 2003's Reality, Visconti...
. Farrell co-wrote 2 songs for those sessions; "At Last I Am Born" and "Sweetie-Pie", and played keyboards, percussion, guitar, trumpet and trombone. In support of the album, the band spent the summer of 2006 performing festival dates in Italy, Turkey, Germany, Holland, Croatia, Finland, Portugal, Switzerland, Hungary, Austria, France, and Spain.
After completing a comprehensive US, UK and European tour in support of Morrissey's Greatest Hits (Morrissey album)|Greatest Hits album in 2007, Farrell decided to leave the band to spend more time with his family. However, an earlier single recorded with Farrell, "That's How People Grow Up
That's How People Grow Up
"That's How People Grow Up" is a 2008 single by British singer Morrissey. The song, released on 4 February 2008, was used to promote his latest Greatest Hits album...
", appears on Morrissey's newest album Years of Refusal
Years of Refusal
Years of Refusal is the ninth solo album by Morrissey. Distributed by Decca in the UK and Lost Highway in the US, it was released on 16 February 2009 in the UK and on 17 February 2009 in the US...
.
Other work
In recent years, Farrell has increasingly been working in the studio in a variety of capacities, as a session keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist, a mixer, and as a songwriter and producer. Farrell has constructed his own studio in Burbank where he has written and produced tracks for Morrissey, Macy Gray, Jeremy Gregory, Ben Lee, Michael Orland of American Idol, and Angie Hart. As a film composer, he has scored the Sundance Channel film "Paradise, Nebraska", the award winning short-film "Beat", and the children's TV pilot "The Mighty Me Superhero Hour". He has also wrote a song for the HBO feature film "Girl" and contributed music to the NBC sitcom "Men Behaving Badly". Farrell has also performed on shows such as Third Rock from the Sun, Grounded for Life, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.Farrell has toured with other artists such as Vanessa Carlton
Vanessa Carlton
Vanessa Lee Carlton is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Upon completion of her education at the School of American Ballet, Carlton chose to pursue singing instead, performing in New York bars and clubs while attending university. Three months after recording a demo with producer Peter...
and Vanessa Brown. Both for whom he played keyboards and guitar. At various times he has also shared the stage with Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
, Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Lou Etheridge is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician.Etheridge is known for her mixture of confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals...
, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Ruben Studdard
Ruben Studdard
Christopher Theodore Ruben Studdard , best known as Ruben Studdard, is an American R&B, pop, and gospel singer. He rose to fame as winner of the second season of American Idol...
, Dave Navarro
Dave Navarro
David Michael "Dave" Navarro is an American guitarist who plays in the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction and cover band Camp Freddy. He has also played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Panic Channel, and many others.- Early life :...
and Camp Freddy, RuPaul
RuPaul
RuPaul Andre Charles , best known as simply RuPaul, is an American actor, drag queen, model, author, and singer-songwriter, who first became widely known in the 1990s when he appeared in a wide variety of television programs, films, and musical albums. Previously, he was a fixture on the Atlanta...
, Ben Lee, Kimberly Locke, Anthony Rapp, Sally Kellerman, Jean Smart, Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris is an American actor, singer, director, and magician.Prominent roles of his career include the title role in Doogie Howser, M.D., Colonel Carl Jenkins in Starship Troopers, the womanizing Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold...
, Scott Record, and Dan Finnerty and the Dan Band.