Michael Stanley

Michael Stanley (born Michael Stanley Gee; March 25, 1948 – March 5, 2021) was an American singer-songwriter, musician, and radio and television personality. As a solo artist and with the Michael Stanley Band (MSB), and Michael Stanley and the Resonators (MS&R), his brand of heartland rock was popular in Cleveland, Ohio, and around the American Midwest in the 1970s and 1980s.

Early life, family, and education Michael Stanley Gee graduated from Rocky River High School in 1966. He attended Hiram College

A few years after his graduation, while working as a regional manager for a record store chain, Stanley released his first solo album, Michael Stanley, on Tumbleweed Records in 1973. The album was produced by Bill Szymczyk and featured contributions from Joe Walsh, Todd Rundgren, Rick Derringer, and Joe Vitale. Its first song, "Rosewood Bitters," would become a lifetime fixture in Stanley's shows and was later recorded by Walsh in 1985. Stanley's second solo album, Friends and Legends, released later in 1973 on MCA Records, was again produced by Szymczyk and included support from members of Barnstorm and Stephen Stills' Manassas, among others: Walsh, Vitale, Kenny Passarelli, Paul Harris, Joe Lala, Al Perkins, David Sanborn, Dan Fogelberg, and Richie Furay, with J. Geils contributing to the production.

Michael Stanley Band The Michael Stanley Band was formed by Stanley in 1974 with singer-songwriter and lead guitarist Jonah Koslen, former Glass Harp bassist Daniel Pecchio and drummer Tommy Dobeck from the band Circus. Several personnel changes over the years, and by 1982, the group had evolved into a seven-piece band.

Nicknamed MSB by their fans, the band set several attendance records at Cleveland area venues, including a record 20,320 at the Richfield Coliseum on July 20, 1979, and a record 40,529 for two Coliseum concerts on December 31, 1981, and January 1, 1982. The band's greatest achievement was a total attendance of 74,404 during a four-night stand at Blossom Music Center on August 25, 26, 30 and 31, 1982.

The group reached the peak of their popularity nationally in 1981 when the single "He Can't Love You" from the album Heartland (written and sung by keyboardist Kevin Raleigh) made the Top 40 (#33 Billboard, #27 Cash Box) and "In the Heartland" from the album North Coast went to #6 on Billboard's Top Tracks chart. Their video for "He Can't Love You" was the 47th video ever played on MTV. The band's last Top 40 hit was "My Town" in 1983. "My Town" has been played by the Ohio State University Marching Band since 1986. The special all-brass and percussion arrangement is a favorite in Ohio Stadium.

The band dissolved in 1987 with 12 farewell shows at the Front Row Theater in Highland Heights, Ohio (suburban Cleveland) during the 1986–87 holiday season.

In 2004, the sketch comedy troupe Last Call Cleveland produced Michael Stanley Superstar: The Unauthorized Autobiography of the Cuyahoga Messiah, a play which parodied Stanley's status as a local celebrity.

Personnel Michael Stanley – guitar, vocals Jonah Koslen – lead guitar, vocals (1974–77) Daniel Pecchio – bass, vocals (1974–79) Tommy Dobeck – drums Bob Pelander – keyboards (1976–87) Gary Markasky – lead guitar (1978–83) Kevin Raleigh – keyboards, vocals (1978–87) Michael Gismondi – bass (1979–87) Rick Bell – saxophone (1982–84) Danny Powers – lead guitar (1983–87)

Television and radio

Stanley was the co-host of PM Magazine on WJW Channel 8 from 1987 to 1990 and its follow-up, Cleveland Tonight, until 1991. He also appeared on The Drew Carey Show, playing himself.

Following a short stint on Cleveland radio station WMMS, from 1990 until a few weeks before he died in 2021, Stanley was the afternoon drive disc jockey for classic rock radio station WNCX, in Cleveland.

Personal life Stanley was married four times: to Libby Hill Blake, a teacher, from 1970 to 1990, when they divorced; to Mary McCrone, a television producer, for eight years until they divorced in about 2000; to Denise Skinner, a former marketing staffer, from 2002 until her death of cancer in 2011; and to her best friend, Ilsa Glanzberg, an elementary school instructional aide, from 2017 until he died in 2021. He had twin daughters, Anna and Sarah, born in 1974, and five grandchildren.

Health and death Stanley had a first heart attack in 1991, at age 43. In 2017, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Later that year, he suffered a second heart attack and underwent quadruple bypass surgery.

He is buried in Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland, OH.

Awards and honors 1987–1991 – either one, or "a couple," or eleven, local Emmy awards 2019 – Cleveland Arts Prize’s Lifetime Achievement Award 2021 – March 25, which would have been his 73rd birthday, declared Michael Stanley Day by the Cleveland City Council

Discography Albums Silk Year Title Label Billboard200 1969 Smooth As Raw Silk ABC S-694 191

Solo Year Title Label Billboard200 1973 Michael Stanley Tumbleweed TWS 106 206 1973 Friends and Legends MCA 372 207

Michael Stanley Band Year Title Label Billboard200 RPM100 1975 You Break It...You Bought It! Epic PE 33492 184 — 1976 Ladies' Choice Epic PE 33917 — — 1977 Stage Pass Epic PEG 34661 207 — 1978 Cabin Fever Arista AL 4182 99 97 1979 Greatest Hints Arista AL 4236 148 — 1980 Heartland EMI America SW–17040 86 — 1981 North Coast EMI America SW–17056 79 — 1982 MSB EMI America ST–17071 136 — 1983 You Can't Fight Fashion EMI America ST–17100 64 — 1984 Fourth and Ten... MSB 101 — — 1986 Inside Moves MSB 201 — — 1992 Right Back at Ya (1971–1983) Razor & Tie RE 1991 — — 1997 Misery Loves Company: More of the Best 1975–1983 Razor & Tie RE 2125 — — 2015 Live at the Ritz NYC 1983 Line Level — —

The Ghost Poets Year Title Label Billboard200 1993 The Ghost Poets Razor & Tie RT 2812 —

Post-MSB solo

Singles Year A-Side B-Side Label US Pop CAN Pop Album 1973 "Rock and Roll Man" "Denver Rain" Tumbleweed 1010 — — Michael Stanley "Rosewood Bitters" "Good Time Charlie" Tumbleweed 1014 — — 1974 "Yours For a Song" "Roll On" MCA 40177 — — Friends and Legends 1975 "I'm Gonna Love You" "Step the Way" Epic 50116 — — You Break It...You Bought It! "Face the Music" "Song for My Children" Epic 50151 — —1976 "Ladies' Choice" "Sweet Refrain" Epic 50242 — — Ladies' Choice 1977 "Nothing's Gonna Change My Mind" "Love Hasn't Been Here" Epic 50416 — — Stagepass 1978 "Why Should Love Be This Way" "Late Show" Arista 0348 — — Cabin Fever "Baby If You Wanna Dance" "Fool's Parade" Arista 0368 — — 1979 "Last Night" "Down to the Wire" Arista 0436 — — Greatest Hints 1980 "He Can't Love You" "Carolyn" EMI America 8063 33 10 Heartland 1981 "Lover" "Save a Little Piece for Me" EMI America 8064 68 — "Falling in Love Again" "Does It Hurt" EMI America 8090 64 — North Coast "When Your Heart Says It's Right" "Victim of Circumstance" EMI America 8097 — — 1982 "When I'm Holding You Tight" "In Between the Lines" EMI America 8130 78 — MSB "Take the Time" "Just a Little Bit Longer" EMI America 8146 81 — 1983 "My Town" "Just How Good" EMI America 8178 39 — You Can't Fight Fashion "Someone Like You" "Highlife" EMI America 8189 75 — 1985 "Show Me Something" "Somebody Else's Woman" MSB 701 — — Inside Moves 1986 "When All Is Said and Done" "Here Come the Kids" MSB 801 — — "Poor Side of Town" "Headlights" MSB 901 — —