Homegrown - Homegrown (Feat. Michael De Jong) (2020)

Michael De Jong was born in France in 1945, his father was a Dutchman who fled Holland during World War II where he married a French Basque woman. The family immigrated to America in 1950. Which is why Michael has no less than three different passports.

Michael started playing the guitar at the age of 13. Five years later he started his first band The Nightwalkers, which backed Bobby Bare.

In 1965, Michael moved to Detroit where he became a regular guest at John Sinclair’s Ann Arbor Blues Festival. Between 1970 & 1974 he travelled extensively throughout the States. He ended up in New Orleans where he played the strip-clubs of Bourbon Street 7 nights a week for 13 months in a row, often sharing the stage with Professor Longhair and the Neville Brothers. Michael moved to California in 1974. During the 10 years that he lived in San Francisco, he played with or supported Jerry Garcia, Paul Butterfield, Albert Collins, John Lee Hooker, Maria Muldaur, Country Joe, Charlie Musselwhite, Albert King, Jimmy Reed… the list goes on and on.

In 1981, Michael recorded his first album All Night Long, produced by legendary Nick Gravenitis (Electric Flag, Janis Joplin) and featuring Steve Miller Band members Norton Buffalo & Greg Douglas. Three years later he returned to Europe and after “spending time” in Germany, France, Denmark and Sweden, he revisited his Dutch roots, settling in Holland.