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Michael Quatro (born 12 June 1943, Detroit, Michigan, US)[1] is a keyboard player and songwriter who has released eleven albums since 1972.[2] He specializes in keyboard-driven progressive rock.[3] He is also known for his work in the late 1960s and early 1970s as a booking agent and festival promoter, organizing and promoting the 1969 Detroit Black Arts Festival,[4] the 1970 Cincinnati Pop Festival,[5] and the 1970 Cincinnati Summer Pop Festival,[6] the latter of which was broadcast on television as “Midsummer Rock“[7].

Career

Quatro began taking classical piano lessons at 6[8] or 7[9][3] years old. As an adolescent he performed with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and would perform regularly on The Lawrence Welk Show.[10] Later he began to mix his classical influences with rock music in the Michael Quatro Jam Band, and was known as “The King of Rock and Bach”.[11] His classically-based, keyboard-driven progressive rock style has been compared to that of Keith Emerson and Rick Wakeman, however his albums also feature pop-oriented tunes influenced by the Detroit sound. Quatro’s music gained popularity in Detroit, Michigan, where he was popular in clubs[12] and received airplay on FM radio.

Quatro’s 1972 album Paintings contains the single “Circus (What I Am)”, which reached No. 8 on Billboard Magazine’s Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart and No. 91 on the Cash Box Top 100 Singles chart. He has sold 20 million records worldwide. Ted Nugent played guitar on one track on his second album, while his third album featured Rick Derringer on guitar and Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan from The Turtles.[3]

Quatro’s track “Stripper”, from his 1976 album Dancers, Romancers, Dreamers & Schemers, has been heavily sampled in hip-hop by artists including Amerie feat. Nas,[13] and the Madd Rapper.[14]

Quatro is an independent entertainment executive and the older brother of musician Suzi Quatro. When record producer Mickie Most was in Detroit, Quatro persuaded him to see Cradle featuring his sisters Suzi, Patti, Arlene and Nancy, as he was their manager at the time. Most waited for Cradle to break up before signing Suzi as a solo act.[15]: 76–79  As a result, she became the first female bass player to become a major rock star.[16]: 2 [17]After Cradle broke up, Patti Quatro joined the Mike Quatro Jam Band as guitarist and co-produced his 1973 album Look Deeply into the Mirror.[18] Quatro was also the booking agent for MC5.[19]

Quatro is still making music and as of 2010 was still promoting Detroit musical acts.[6]

Discography

Albums

  • 1972: Paintings (Evolution) as Michael Quatro Jam Band
  • 1973: Look Deeply into the Mirror (Evolution) as Michael Quatro Jam Band
  • 1975: In Collaboration with the Gods (United Artists) – AUS #73[20]
  • 1976: Dancers, Romancers, Dreamers, & Schemers (United Artists)
  • 1977: Gettin’ Ready (Prodigal Records, a Motown label)
  • 1980: The Selections Of Paintings (Koala, a Tennessee label) 1979 re-recordings of the Painting album
  • 1980: Into The Mirror (Koala) 1979 re-recordings of the Look Deeply Into The Mirror album
  • 1980: Selections of Dancers, Romancers (Koala) 1979 re-recordings of the Dancers, Romancers, Dreamers & Schemers album
  • 1980: It’s Only A Love Song (Koala) as Mike Quatro; remixed reissue of Gettin’ Ready
  • 1980: Mirage (Koala) as Mike Quatro, mini-album of new songs; also released as Michael Quatro Band with added previously released tracks (Quality Records)
  • 1981: Bottom Line (Spector International Records)
  • 1995: Vision (Quatrophonic Music USA)
  • 2004: Romantic/Classical/New Age (Quatrophonic Music USA)
  • 2005: The Shadow of the King (Reiwan)
  • 2006: Heavenward (Reiwan)

Singles

  • 1972: “Circus (What I Am)”
  • 1995: “Song of the Sea”

References

  1. ^ “Michael Quatro”. JazzRockSoul.com. 21 January 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  2. ^ Ankeny, Jason. “Biography: Michael Quatro”. Allmusic. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  3. ^ a b c “MICHAEL QUATRO”. Prog Archives. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  4. ^ Morris, Julie (7 November 1969). “Acts Billed Didn’t Appear”. The Detroit Free Press. p. 3. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  5. ^ Nicholson, John (29 September 2025). “Counterculture History; Cincinnati Pop Festival March 1970”. DJTees. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  6. ^ a b Powers, Brian (9 June 2010). “A Summer to Remember”. Cincinnati CityBeat. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  7. ^ Simms, Jr., Greg (27 February 2023). “Airwaves- The Cincinnati 1970 Midsummer Rock TV show is far out”. WYSO. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  8. ^ “Mike Quatro Lets it All Hang Out – Issue 95, December 26, 1969-January 7, 1970 – Fifth Estate Magazine”. Detroit Fifth Estate. 26 December 1970. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  9. ^ Kiley, Kayla (21 August 2009). “Michael Quatro rocks Evart on Saturday”. Cadillac News. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
  10. ^ “CTVA US Music Variety – “Lawrence Welk’s Little Band” (ABC) (1958-59)”. ctva.biz. Retrieved 22 March 2026.;“CREEM | ROCK AND ROLL NEWS”. Creem Magazine www.creem.com (May 1970). 1 May 1970. Retrieved 22 March 2026.;“The Lawrence Welk Show”. TVGuide.com. Retrieved 22 March 2026.;“Mike Quatro- Teen Pianist”. www.imdb.com. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  11. ^ Simpson, Bob (13 February 2013). “Cock Rock: The Rape of Our Culture”. Washington Area Spark. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  12. ^ Ankeny, Jason. “Michael Quatro Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & M…” AllMusic. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  13. ^ “Amerie feat. Nas’s ‘Man Up’ – Discover the Sample Source”. WhoSampled. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  14. ^ “The Madd Rapper’s ‘Dot vs. TMR’ – Discover the Sample Source”. WhoSampled.
  15. ^ Quatro, Suzi (2008) [First published 2007]. Unzipped (Paperback). London, UK: Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 978-0-340-93751-8.
  16. ^ Auslander, Philip (28 January 2004). “I Wanna Be Your Man: Suzi Quatro’s musical androgyny”. Popular Music. 23 (1). United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press: 1–16. doi:10.1017/S0261143004000030. S2CID 191508078. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  17. ^ “BBC Queens of British Pop, Suzi Quatro – David Jensen film clip 2009”. BBC. London, UK. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  18. ^ Leighty, Sam. “Perfect Sound Forever: The Pleasure Seekers”. www.furious.com. Retrieved 3 April 2026.;Ceriotti, Bruno. “The Pleasure Seekers – Cradle”. Bruno Ceriotti, rock historian. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  19. ^ Sinclair, John (17–30 October 1968). “Rock and Roll Dope – Issue 64, October 17-30, 1968 – Fifth Estate Magazine”. The Fifth Estate. No. 64. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  20. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 243. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.