Mike James Kirkland

Originally from Yazoo City, Mississippi, Mike James Kirkland grew up singing doo wop and gospel. Eventually settling in California, Kirkland and his brother started a record label, Bryan Records, to release the love songs and socially conscious soul music that Kirkland had been writing. The two albums they released -- Hang On in There in 1972 and its follow-up, Doin' It Right, both echoed the style and sentiments of other artists determined to comment on social issues relevant to the African-American community: soul heavies like Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, and Stevie Wonder....