Cleveland native Michael Stanley became a regional phenomenon, but the singer/songwriter/guitarist and his Michael Stanley Band deserved more national success than they achieved. Stanley, whose real name was Michael Stanley Gee, played bass with the folk-rock group Silk in the late 1960s. He then went solo and released two solo albums in the early '70s that fit right in with the singer/songwriter era. His talent attracted the likes of producer Bill Szymczyk and guest musicians Joe Walsh, Todd Rundgren, and David Sanborn from the beginning.
He formed the Michael Stanley Band (...