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Mike Matney

Mike comes from a small Appalachian coal mining town in Southwest, Virginia. He grew up on a 100 acres with a log cabin, which he has returned to and currently resides. 

"I started to show interest in music at age 6, started with piano, then got hooked on the guitar, played through high school, and ended up in Nashville. The rest is history, still in the making....."

A 40 year veteran, Matney earned a reputation in the metal underground for his guitar prowess, unique vocal style and song writing capabilities.

He earned degrees in keyboards, classical guitar and recording industry management. He held internships at A&R dept. of Asylum Records as well as Public Relations firm Creative Media in Nashville.    

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My Story

My first album ‘White Boy And The Average Rat Band’  released in ‘81 has been written about in books and magazines for years sells among collectors for over $1,000 a copy. I signed with Riding Easy Records out of Los Angeles for its 4th reissue.

I’ve always been a fan of Billy Gibbon’s and ZZ Top. Heck, I can remember playing along the Tres Hombres Album till my fingers bled when I was a kid but I loved the way Robin Trowers guitar sounded or Frank Marino or Pat Travers. Those were probably the guys that influenced me the most and now I can hear a lot of them in my music.

In Nashville I met Kriss Famous. Kriss had a band called Taboo. Ron Keel (Keel, Steeler,etc.) had just left Kriss’s band and Kriss asked me to take his place, I did. Kriss knew lots of people and that summer I got to take my parents backstage at the Grand Ole Opry to meet Roy Acuff, hang out backstage with Adrian Belew at one of his shows. I got to sit backstage and talk to Willie Dixon about song writing and Mick and the boys as well as so many other things. It was that summer Kriss gave me the name White Boy. It was a simpler time. There was never any malice, I was white and they were black.

I have two bands, MATNEY (based out of Austin, Tx) and White Boy and The Average Rat Band (began in Richlands, Virginia). In 2024 I have two separate label deals, and songs on the radio in the US and UK.

 

In April 2024, Roulette Records released my album, ‘ The Redneck and the Red Man’.  It was produced by multi-platinum artist/producer Stevie Salas (who has worked with Rod Stewart, Mick Jagger, Justin Timberlake, etc..) and features Stevie on guitar. It is currently on the radio in the UK and we are being featured in TV, radio, and magazines. 

Stage Mist

Legacy

Matney has a legacy that spans 40 years of music, ups and downs, tragedies and successes.

Headliner for:

Open for:

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Matney shows are intense rock and roll ragers, with action, stage presence and the audience loves them!!

  • Rock

  • ​Southern Rock

  • Hard Rock

Ready to Play:
 

  • Festivals

  • Biker Events

  • ​Venues

  • Private Parties

  • ​Tours

  • Facebook
  • YouTube

Interview

The Phoenix Remix Magazine

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WOW!

The Table Read Magazine

"Singer, guitarist and songwriter, Mike Matney ’s genre defying, creative music blends together elements of the blues, funk, hard rock and heavy metal"

Rock Poster Music News

 
Review for Album
The Redneck & The Red Man
"Michael Matney is officially a badass for creating this riot of an album, it doesn’t harm that he has roped in the legendary Stevie Salas to produce the beast"

New Quote

Coming soon....

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Contact

Eileen Bild, OTEL Universe

904-316-2462

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