He is a keyboardist, musical director, songwriter, actor and producer born in Blytheville, Arkansas who studied at the University of Arkansas.
Starting out on his musical career in the late 1960s/early 1970s he became a member of Atlantic Records’ house band in Miami where he would accompany many major artists.
In 1973 he was approached by Jerry Jeff Walker to perform on the keyboards for Jimmy Buffett for his A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean, which was the beginning of a long lasting association. He still performed as a session musician until the mid to late 1970s as well as with Jimmy Buffett, but once Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes had proved so successful he took on a permanent position as a member of the Coral Reefer Band and ever since has toured and recorded with them.
Working with a huge amount of artists during the course of his career he has been seen performing and or/recording with acts such as The Allman Brothers, Hoyt Axton, Brook Benton, Jackson Browne, Kim Carnes, Gene Clark, Petula Clark, Rita Coolidge, Pablo Cruise, The Dixie Flyers Band, Dan Fogelberg, Aretha Franklin, Buddy Guy, Booker T. Jones, Bobby Keys, Kris Kristofferson, Gary Mallaber, Mac McAnally, Roy Orbison, Billy Joe Shaver, Ben Sidran, Steppenwolf, Barbra Streisand, Billy Swan, The Tams, Junior Wells and many more.
He has also teamed up with his fellow Coral Reefer, Robert Greenidge, to form Club Trini, which also comprises other Coral Reefer Band members, and the group has recorded at least half a dozen albums.
The albums he has featured on are numerous but a very few include Banana Wind, License to Chill, One Particular Harbor, Paddlin’ Out and Volcano by Jimmy Buffett, Love Slave by Marshall Chapman, Mad Music, Back in Town and Maragarita Cafi: Late Night Live by Club Trini, Nice Feelin’ by Rita Coolidge and Playin’ It Cool by Timothy B. Schmit.
As an actor he has appeared in the movies Convoy and A Star is Born and his compositions have appeared on the soundtracks of Arachnophobia, Coast to Coast, Fast Times at Ridgemont High and The Sluggers Wife to name but a few.
Jimmy Buffett recordings
Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes (Jimmy Buffett)
Cheeseburger in Paradise (Jimmy Buffett)
Havana Daydreamin’ (Jimmy Buffett)
Hello Texas (Bryan Collins/Robby Campbell)
Margaritaville (Jimmy Buffett)
Sources:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Utley
- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0882544/
- http://www.clubtrini.com/bio.htm
- http://www.buffettnews.com/resources/coralreeferband/?bid=17
- http://shopping.yahoo.com/p:Michael%20Utley:1927147269
- http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:azfoxqwgldse~T4
- http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:azfoxqwgldse~2~T40B