Monster Mike Welch

Life and career Welch was born in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. His musical education was helped by his access to his father's record collection, which included work by Magic Sam, Earl Hooker and B.B. King, and more rock oriented recordings by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. It was the effect of Albert King's work that caused the youngster to gravitate toward the blues, and he learned to play the guitar at the age of eight.

Three years later his parents allowed him access to blues jams and clubs in the Boston area, and he learned further skills from musicians such as Ronnie Earl and Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson. In 1992, Welch played at the opening of the first House of Blues club in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Catch Me saw David Hull compose one track and play bass guitar on the album. The early attention came at a price. Welch later explained, "I struggled with that all the time... I think it's a large part of the reason why my early records are all original songs," he said. "It wasn't because I didn't want to record versions of some of my favorite (cover) songs, it was because I felt like I needed to give people something that wasn't as simple as guitar acrobatics from a novelty act.... I think some of my decisions (back then) were compensation for not wanting to be seen as immature or shallow."

Adding Insight to Injury was Welch's next solo release in 2004, which included a cover version of Bob Dylan's song "Masters of War". However the album was not a commercial success. By way of diversion, Welch moved briefly to France and backed the French harmonicist, Nico Toussaint, on a tour. Welch's next album release, Cryin' Hey! Monster Mike Welch Plays the Blues (2005), was issued solely in Europe on BGB Records. Around this time Welch took the opportunity to twice play alongside Johnny Copeland.

Welch went on to perform and record with Duke Robillard, Nick Moss, Johnny Winter, Darrell Nulisch and the Knickerbocker All-Stars, which featured Jimmie Vaughan. Welch has also appeared on recordings by the Mannish Boys and contributed to Fifty Shades of Blue (2015), by Anthony Geraci and the Boston Blues All Stars. In addition, Welch continued to work with Sugar Ray Norcia, more recently issuing Seeing is Believing on Severn Records in October 2016. Earlier that year the act had played at the Hawaii Theatre in Honolulu.

In June 2016, Welch and singer Mike Ledbetter took part in a tribute to Otis Rush at the 33rd Chicago Blues Festival. The album was titled Right Time Right Place and was released by Delta Groove Productions. Right Place Right Time'''s track listing included a number of original songs and several cover versions. These latterly comprise the album's opening track, a cover of Elmore James' "Cry for Me Baby"; the Willie Dixon penned "I Can't Stop Baby"; alongside a reworking of the Jerry Leiber and Artie Butler song "Down Home Girl"; plus "Cryin' Won't Help You", which was an old B.B. King song. Ledbetter died at his home in January 2019, aged 33, of complications from epilepsy.

Welch was nominated for a Blues Music Award in 2017,

After a brief hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Welch announced in February 2023 that he had signed with Gulf Coast Records, with a new solo album, Nothing But Time'', to be released on June 30 that year.

Discography Year Title Record label Credited as 1996 These Blues Are Mine Tone-Cool Records Monster Mike Welch 1997 Axe to Grind Tone-Cool Records Monster Mike Welch 1998 Catch Me Tone-Cool Records Monster Mike Welch 2004 Adding Insight to Injury 95 North Records Monster Mike Welch Band 2005 Cryin' Hey! Monster Mike Welch Plays the Blues BGB Records Monster Mike Welch 2007 Just Like It Is BGB Records Monster Mike Welch 2017 Right Place Right Time Delta Groove Productions Monster Mike Welch and Mike Ledbetter 2023 Nothing But Time Gulf Coast RecordsMonster Mike Welch 2025 Keep Living Til I Die Monster Mike RecordsMonster Mike Welch