Michael Tomlinson

Michael Tomlinson is a musician and songwriter located in Seattle, Washington. He was born in 1953 in Amarillo, Texas.
Career
1980s
In the late 1980s, Tomlinson artist scored a Top 10 - Adult Contemporary hit with his song, "Dawning on a New Day." His music, which had been known only at a handful of alternative stations, was being featured on national TV and played on radio stations. He began headlining major theaters, such as the Greek and Universal Amphitheaters in Los Angeles, The Paramount in Denver, Wolftrap in Washington, D.C., and many others. Tomlinson never made the Billboard Hot 100 with any of his recordings yet, from the very first, his following was loyal and passionate. However, Tomlinson was still unable to place an album in the Billboard 200 LP chart, nor was he able to place another single on any American chart after 1988.
1990s
By his fourth release it seemed clear that a successful career was being launched, but behind the scenes the artist was growing weary of the corporate music world. In the early 1990s, Tomlinson decided that he had had enough. Surprising his fans and many in radio, he walked away from it all. In an almost unheard of move, he challenged his record label and regained ownership of all his music, reclaiming full rights to all his publishing, master recordings and copyrights. He then returned to his home in Seattle to start his own small label: Desert Rain.
From that time on he began to fashion a satisfying life, an ongoing process in which he has been merging his music and personal life into a collection of stories. However, critical response to his albums began to erode, and airplay virtually disappeared. Tomlinson never attained the status or adoration of Fogelberg or James Taylor, but he continued to record. Unfortunately, by the mid 1990s, Tomlinson had fallen from the national stage and mainly continued as a regional draw in the Seattle area. Still, his regional concerts and intimate retreats assured he keeps pulse with his loyal fans.
Tomlinsion frequently mentions his personal satisfaction of his life/career choice in his online "Rambling" missives/blog.
Discography
*1985 - Run This Way Forever
*1987 - Still Believe
*1989 - Face Up in the Rain
*1991 - Living Things
*1995 - Calling Me Back to the Wild
*1996 - At Your House (solo acoustic)
*1998 - Trace the Sky
*2000 - Watching the Storm Roll In (solo acoustic)
*2003 - Standing in Troublesome Creek (solo acoustic)
*2005 - Friendship and Goodwill (compilation)
*2008 - The Way Out West

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