Michael Bradford

Who is Michael Bradford?

Michael Bradford was born and raised on Detroit's East Side, an area that was once a working-class neighborhood, but quickly deteriorated into decay after the city's tumultuous riots in 1967.

The late 60s and early 70s were also a remarkable time in Detroit for music. The Motown Sound was sweeping the nation, but also local bands like The Rationals, Bob Seger and The Frost were getting constant exposure on local radio, along with rock from bands like The James Gang, Sly and the Family Stone and Vanilla Fudge. Many of these bands performed at a local concert venue, The Eastown Theatre, on Harper Avenue. The theatre was a converted movie theatre, and was a short distance from the Bradford home. Due to the influence of the rock crowd, the theatre had gotten a reputation for being "one of the city’s most notorious drug-infused rock venues". Michael's early exposure to rock music made him want to pursue a career in rock, rather than the more obvious choice of R&B.

In 1973, Michael was admitted to University Liggett School, a private school in Grosse Pointe Michigan. Fellow classmates included Jeffrey Eugenides, who would go on to write The Virgin Suicides and Middlesex. Michael stayed at ULS, graduating from the 12th Grade in 1978.