By: Daniel P’Lopez – Photos by: Scott E. Schwimer
Mike Maimone grew up in Ashtabula, Ohio, a small yet eclectic town. Mike didn’t understand that he was gay as a kid. He grew up Catholic, and that contributed to him not understanding his authentic self, with no intake on gay culture or life as a small-town kid in the 80s and 90s. Mike grew up playing sports, Varsity football, basketball, and lacrosse, and was into grunge music. He also took piano lessons and was figuring himself out very slowly growing up. He dated girls as his buds and teammates did, so he followed in the traditional footsteps, but those relationships eventually fizzled out. He went to college in Indiana, at Notre Dame Catholic school.
After college, Mike got a job as an accountant, following in his father’s footsteps. Mike was unaware of what he wanted to do and what he wanted to be as a young adult. It wasn’t until he got his place in Cleveland that Mike realized he didn’t want to be an accountant and live his father’s life. He wanted to make music full time and became a full-time musician. This was the time when Mike started to live his authentic life.
He started dating men in Chicago and Nashville after college in his 20s, when he had his first boyfriend and sexual experience. Mike came out late in life. He was thirty and in a three-year relationship when he finally told his parents who he was.
Mike started writing songs in high school and was in his first band in college called The Island Boys, with him being the only white boy in the band. He was playing piano in the chapel in his dorm when someone asked him if he wanted to join their band. Mike immediately got hooked on the feeling of being on stage, having a crowd, and writing music for a band. “It just felt really exciting to kind of create something with these other musicians and watch something come together out of nothing.” Says Mike.
It was a fun time for Mike, and he had a blast performing and being the focus of attention for people. He then joined another band in Oregon and played with them for a while before going solo. Mike’s influences have been Fiona Apple as a piano player, St. Vincent, Randy Newman, and Leon Russell, who Mike claims is the closest to what he would like to do long term with the piano and his quirky voice.
It wasn’t until Mike was twenty-seven when he realized that if he wanted longevity as a performer, he had to sing. He started singing his own songs and eventually released his first solo album in 2008. It’s been a long ride since then, and Mike has a new album coming out later this year, a tribute album to his late husband Howard Bragman, who passed away from cancer two years ago.
The two had been in a long-distance relationship but had been planning on moving in together as soon as they got married. The two did get married, in Howard’s hospital bed, but sadly to say, he passed away the next day. Mike’s up-and-coming album is a tribute to their love and all the ways he changed his life. Using voicemails, Mike had helped narrate the album to his late husband. Like his first single (On My Way), it wasn’t even supposed to be a
song, but it turned into his first single.
His new album is called “Guess what? I love you”. A reference to Howard, who always told Mike those words whenever he was overworked and couldn’t focus because of his busy schedule. Mike had recently finished a memoir about his and Howard’s year together, also called (Guess what? I love you). Mike is looking to publish in the near future once he finds a publisher.
When Mike is not working on music, he exercises and reads. He also did a tribute tour for his late husband and raised money for The Trevor Project. Mike wants to help with charities that help schools continue their music programs. Mike revealed, “Without music, I really don’t know what I would have done with my grief and sadness.”
Mike has an upcoming piano show in North Hollywood on April 26 at Kulak’s Woodshed with Kristen Ford, an Ohio-born indie singer on the scene. Once the new album is released, Mike will go on a full tour to promote it, which will be released later this year on August 15.
These days, Mike feels he has a new purpose with his creative life, like his late husband, who gave back to the LGBTQ+ community in many different ways. Mike would like to carry on his legacy and keep his memory alive with his songs and music. Mike admits that he would be open to dating again in the next chapter of his life.
Adelante wishes Mike a happy and positive journey in his life and with his music.
You can follow Mike on Instagram and TikTok @MikeMaimonemusic