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Michael Furlong's background in the music business is a very extensive one. He has
been an accomplished performing musician for 25 years. As an entertainer/performer he plays lead and rhythm guitar and is a lead vocalist. He is front man for three of five shows he performs, and the business owner of MF Productions that manages all of the shows. During his performing career he has appeared coast to coast in the US and Canada, Japan, Guam, and Hawaii.
Michael Furlong formed his Petty Theft show in October 1990, primarily performing in cities on the west coast. The idea to put a Tom Petty show together originated while he was performing in Vancouver, B.C. The striking visual resemblance between the two was a constant topic of conversation brought up by many people attending the shows he performed. He decided to produce the TP show, feeling that the music and the character would be fun to do while increasing audience interest and attendance. Over the past 15 years he has performed his Petty show in numerous casinos, fairs, and special events coast to coast.
Word of Michael's Petty Theft show somehow got back to Tom Petty himself. The result was quite interesting. Michael's show was mentioned by Tom Petty in a Rolling Stone article, on the internationally syndicated radio show Rock Line and on MTV's Top 20 Countdown. When asked about Michael's show in the Rock Line interview, Tom Petty replied that he would like to see the show or a video of the show if someone would send it to him. Michael sent a copy. Tom Petty was a bit taken back by the fact that his music career was now reaching such legendary stature that not only were musicians around the country playing his songs but that his character and songs had now reached impersonator status.
Additionally Michael manages and performs other shows including Rob Hanna's Salute To Rod Stewart, Brad Ford's Fortunate Son - A Tribute to Creedence Clearwater Revival, Raised On Radio - The Tributes, a review-style show encompassing eight different characters in one show, Mister Jynx; a new top 40 and classic rock and roll format, and the "Michael Furlong Band", a variety and original music performing band. The shows consist of a cast of four and up to nine performers.
Michael is a native of Carson City, Nevada. He moved to Hawaii in 1980 to perform, write and record his own music. He then moved to Sacramento, CA where he was managed by The Bruce Cohn Mgt. Company while signed to Atlantic Records. In 1987 he moved back to Carson City with his wife of now 24 years and two sons, where he began to work the Reno-Tahoe cabaret circuit as well as fairs and festivals nation wide.
It isn't just the songs and the look that make Furlong's "Tribute To Tom Petty" a success. His talents as an entertainer are exceptional, making the package complete. Mike's shows are fun, action-packed, humorous, and moving. He instigates and involves his audience, while delivering his own personal touch to each
performance. The illusion, the music, the entertainment, and Furlong as himself make his shows an event.
Furlong, backed by his band, which he considers to be the best lineup of talent he's had to date, has a large catalog of hit songs and fan favorites that they perform. The band consists of Michael Furlong - guitar/vocals, Glenn Hicks - drums/vocals, Paul
Zogby - guitar/vocals, Tom Robbins - bass guitar/vocals, and Steve Hatley - Keyboards/vocals. All of the band members have quite extensive career credits to their names with a long history of professional national touring, recording and performing experience. Their extensive repertoire enables them to produce several completely different shows throughout an evening's performance. With rocking oldies, signature ballads and current hits like "Breakdown", "Free Fallin", "Refugee", "American Girl", 'Don't Do Me Like That", "I Need To Know", and "Here Comes My Girl", he delivers a memorable performance of good music and fun in every show.
Mike
is based out of Carson
City, Nevada where
he grew up and started
his performing career.
While performing on
the road with a group
in Vancouver, BC in
1990, he plotted this
new course to a successful
music career with his
Tribute To Tom Petty.
This lead him to performances
in venues such as The
California State Fair
virtually every Reno
casino, most noteworthy
casinos on the Las
Vegas Strip, Indian
and Riverboat Casinos
nationally, Hard Rock
Café Las Vegas and
Lake Tahoe, Hawaii,
Japan, Guam, fairs,
festivals, and corporate
parties throughout
the entire United States,
and British Columbia
and Nova Scotia, Canada.
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