MUSIC

 Puffabelly's is proud to welcome this week's Davin James Songwriter Showcase special guest  Mike Blakely. Enjoy music at it's finest from Texas legends to new artists here at Puffabellys. Come out and see Davin James and a special guest each Wednesday night at 8:00pm.

Mike Blakely gives life to words — sung and written. His sincerity comes through clearly in the original lyrics he writes and the way he sings the songs. The stories on the pages of his books convey a depth and heart few can express. The singer/songwriter and novelist baffles the minds of many with his varied talents and ability to accomplish so much in two different realms — simultaneously.

He’s “just plain brilliant,” according to John M. Greenberg, singer/songwriter and Blakely’s friend of 13 years. “…He is as gifted of a novelist as he is a songwriter. You just don’t see that combination very often. Most storytellers can either do one or the other well with the other being secondary or merely a hobby. With Mike, you’d have to flip a coin to which of the two he does better.”

At age 52, Blakely has written 16 novels and released 11 albums of original TexAmericana music. For about six years, the Buchanan Dam, Texas, resident has performed three musical gigs a week, or roughly 150 per year. He plays mainly in Texas but has ventured to Europe with his lead guitar player, Larry Nye, and bass player, Donnie Price, 12 times in the last 13 years.

Blakely draws on his own experiences, other people’s stories, or even just the twist of a phrase to fuel his songwriting.

“I find inspiration in all kind of places,” said Blakely, who plays guitar and mandolin.

Blakely grew up in Wharton County, Texas, where he learned cowboy ways while helping his dad tend to the family’s cattle on land they leased. He began playing guitar as an 8-year-old, a skill also learned from his musically inclined father.

“Cowboy music comes to us honestly,” Mike Blakely said, “as we both still live on ranches.”

These days, on his Seven Stars Ranch in Llano County, Blakely still clings to his country roots. He has always wanted to live in the country, have his own place, be his own boss, and hunt and fish.

“I’m living the dream,” he said. “And I get to do two things I love to do to make a living.”