For those, like me, who spent the 1980s in Cleveland, the Michael Stanley Band played a large role in your life. The Cleveland radio stations played MSB songs so often, many of us in those pre-Internet days would be surprised to learn that the band was not well-known outside the Midwest. So, hearing that Michael Stanley died recently on March 5, 2021 from lung cancer at the age of 72, brought back a flood of memories.
Headlines announcing Stanleys’ death refer to him as “Cleveland’s Hometown Rock Hero,” “Cleveland Music Legend,” and “Cleveland rock legend.” There almost seems something unfair about localizing the importance of regional bands. The music Michael Stanley made with MSB, by himself, and with other bands, stands on its own as great rock music without a local qualifier.
Yet, I doubt Stanley would mind that the headlines emphasized his importance to people living on the North Coast, which coincidentally, was the name of the first Michael Stanley Band record album that I purchased. Stanley was proud of his connection to Cleveland, having made the choice to remain in that city as opposed to seeking wider fame by moving to New York or Los Angeles.
After the Michael Stanley Band dissolved in 1987, Stanley still performed music, sometimes with his old band members. And he stayed in Cleveland, working first on local news shows like PM Magazine. I remember it seemed odd to me to see the talented musician as a TV host, but he did a great job. His rock past and his voice, though, seemed more fitting for his job as a classic rock radio disc jockey, which he did from 1991 until his death.
Not surprisingly, Cleveland named a stretch of a major road after Stanley. There is no shame in being a local hero, and Cleveland was able to retain Michael Stanley even if the city could not keep LeBron James. Stanley made his stand in the Land in earnest, not long after Randy Newman started singing about Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River catching on fire in “Burn On.” He brought us together during tough economic times as our sports teams broke our hearts and when others outside Cleveland made jokes about the city. Stanley’s love of this town helped make us all proud of it.
Those who have the most impact on the world often work in smaller communities, helping their neighbors and bringing joy to those around them. Michael Stanley did all that and more.
And for those who listened in the 1980s and those yet to discover him, he left us with some great rock music. Some songs by the band did make the national charts, like “He Can’t Love You” (written and sung by Cleveland-born band member Kevin Raleigh).
And in 1983, the band had a 40 song, “My Town.” It earned Michael Stanley Band an appearance on the pop TV show Solid Gold and a rocking video of Stanley driving around Cleveland.
Michael Stanley Band also put on great shows, and I remember having a blast at a downtown free concert they gave one year. One of my favorite songs by MSB is “Lover,” which is one of the greatest songs of the decade anywhere.
So I like to think that somewhere in heaven right now, there are angels singing along, “thank God for the man who put the white lines on the highway.”
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