Today we’d like to introduce you to Louis B. Middleton
Louis B., we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started playing piano and singing at a young age. I was surrounded by music and encouraged to follow my dreams. I went from living in a small town in Pennsylvania to studying music at Berklee College of Music. After leaving college to work with artist Zander Bleck as his keyboardist, I was exposed to the music business. I saw what to do and what not to do as a solo artist signed to a major label. I also learned to connect with people and build my network.
Fast forward, I toured with bands as a keyboardist, played numerous gigs as a solo pianist/singer, and worked various side jobs to pursue my musical dream.
It’s important to note that a big part of my story is I’m a recovering addict. I went in and out of using drugs and alcohol heavily. Eventually when I got clean, I started to reconnect with old friends, build new positive habits, and pull my life back together.
Eventually this led me to being a part of the electronic act, Mojave Grey. This original formation included my old bandmates Zander Bleck, Michael Pozzi and Mike Odabashian. After doing various gigs and making appearances with MG, I decided I needed to go my own way and be a solo artist.
I now perform all over the world as a solo artist/musician and play hundreds of gigs a year. This is only happening because I got clean (and sober), I built some new positive habits around my daily life, and continue to show up for myself and others. By building a foundation around my business and having principals I live by in my life today, I continue to stay busy and my business keeps growing.
I credit a few individuals for giving me direction, opportunities, and exposure in the beginning of my solo career. Jayma Cardoso, Linden Pride, Nathalie Hudson, Rodrigo Octavio Leme, Stephane and Sabrina De Baets, and Jamie Contractor, and Phil and Elizabeth Gaucher are some of the people who helped kickstart my career into what it is today. I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention my wife, Jessica, for giving me the courage and strength to pursue my musical career again. There are countless others who have helped me along the way and they know who they are. One lesson I’ve learned is to listen and learn to allow others to help us.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Alcohol and drugs were my biggest struggle. When I got clean, life started to slowly get better. The longer I stay clean, the better my life gets.
Dealing with certain individuals and life on life’s terms can be difficult at times. For example, in the past, I had to make difficult choices to not work with certain individuals or organizations because their values didn’t align with mine. Currently, I still need to ask myself, “What do I want out of this specific gig and why am I doing it?”. In my experience, doing my best to be a good person, live with principles, and have boundaries helps ease the struggles of every day life.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Some might call me the “Cowboy hat-wearing jazz pianist”. Others might say I’m “that guy they saw on the piano at FILL IN THE BLANK”. Simply put, I’m a pianist, singer, entertainer. I perform covers of songs I enjoy in the hopes others enjoy them as well. I write songs that speak to me in the hopes they can speak to somebody else too. I love what I do and bring that joy to every room I perform in. I’m known for covering a variety of musical genres but I make them my own. I play the piano in a percussive way that gives it a “heart beat”. Although I’m not a DJ, I try to play my sets the way a DJ would. I read the room and make people feel something in the moment. I’m not for everybody but based on the amount of work I have, I’m grateful to say I have a lot of fans in my corner.
I released an EP of cover songs called “Hotel Bars” last summer. I’m now planning some new releases and hitting the road in the UK/Europe in 2025 along with some US dates.
How do you define success?
Success is a feeling, it’s not a number, or status, or a title. For me, success means being comfortable with where I’m at today. I am only in competition with myself and my ego. If I can go to sleep tonight knowing I did my best, I feel pretty successful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.louisbmiddleton.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/louisbmiddleton?igsh=eGx3cHY4MWNvYmhj&utm_source=qr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@louisbmiddleton?si=GakKwoALBUGxw0lU
