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Mike Zito is living proof of Friedrich Nietzsche’s axiom that what doesn’t kill you will make you stronger. Having exorcised the demons of excess that once dragged him down, his life and career have emerged with a new buoyant perspective and the optimism that accompanies a second chance.
Destined from birth to be a musician, Zito’s journey began in his home on the south side of St. Louis, Missouri, a community with a long history of legendary players. “Music can change everything – how you feel, how you see and what you believe,” he discloses of his life long homage to song that first surfaced when he began to sing and perform at the age of five.
A Van Halen album received as a birthday gift sparked his passion for the electric guitar. “I wasn’t necessarily any better than anyone else,” Zito says of his early strumming. “I just never put it down.” Soon he was playing in high school bands and embracing a wide assortment of formative influences form Prince and Eric Clapton to Buddy Guy and John Mayer.
Fresh out of high school, Zito started working at Tower Grove Music, a local guitar shop. It was a dream job. “Everyone from Chuck Berry to Bennie Smith came in that store,” he relates. “I soaked up the sounds of that store and began building my own style.”
Zito broke onto the St. Louis music scene at nineteen. His craggy guitar work, appealing mix of Americana (blues, country and rock ‘n’ roll) and the warm, sandpaper rasp of his grainy John Fogerty vocals made him an instant hit. Soon, in addition to his regular gigs around St. Louis, he was crisscrossing the country and performing overseas for the USO. Throw in a couple of independent record releases and it isn’t surprising that Zito turned to alcohol and drugs as props to cope with the torrid pace of his success.
Fortunately, with the support of fellow musicians and the love of a new wife with whom he has settled in Nederland, Texas, Zito regrouped around a new band and hit the asphalt to tour with a renewed vigour. His song writer’s pen filled with the ink of lessons learned, Zito was back in the studio to record two more albums of catchy tunes with an infectious vibe.
In 2007, Zito signed with Eclecto Groove Records. His two albums for the label (Today and Pearl River) are most impressive. Eclecto Groove CEO Randy Chortkoff explains why he’s Zito’s biggest fan. “There is something in Zito’s music that went straight to my heart that goes way beyond his incredible talent as a musician…it’s that his music has such a message of positivity and hope. That’s universal and when you pair that up with music that appeals on so many levels simply as great contemporary music, it makes Mike Zito a guy who truly deserves to be heard.”
Music without gimmicks, music with an upbeat message, Mike Zito is just beginning to scratch the surface of his full potential. www.mikezito.com
Ken Wright
