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Michelle Nixon is a Bluegrass music and acoustic country music artist. Born Michelle Denice Thurston on December 10, 1963 she grew up in central Virginia where she became involved in music at an early age. Nixon joined her first band at the age of 14, embarking on a musical journey that found her singing a variety of gospel music and classic country music with different Virginia based bands. Gathering inspiration and style from, among others, Loretta Lynn and Emmylou Harris, Nixon quickly developed her own powerful sound.
After playing a key role in the Virginia Band "Local Exchange", Nixon formed her current band – Michelle Nixon & Drive – in 2002. Within a year, Nixon signed a three-album contract with Pinecastle Records. In the following years Nixon was consecutively nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year (Traditional) at the National SPBGMA (Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass in America) convention in Nashville, Tennessee from 2004 to 2009. In 2006 she was the recipient of the Female Vocalist of the Year (Traditional) at the SPBGMA convention. In total "Michelle Nixon and Drive" received a total of six nominations at SPBGMA in 2006. Additionally from 2005 to 2009 Nixon was nominated for SPBGMA's Entertainer of the Year.
Nixon participated in the much acclaimed "Daughter's of Bluegrass" series of albums both with singing and her song writing abilities. On the 2006 release "Daughter's of Bluegrass – Back to the Well" Nixon co-wrote the song "Grass Angels" and performed on several of the cuts including a duet with fellow Bluegrass artist Jeanette Williams entitled "How's it Feel" which was written by Dixie and Tom T. Hall.
Blue Circle Records continued the "Daughter's of Bluegrass Series" with the album "Daughter's of Bluegrass – Bluegrass Bouquet" in late 2008. Michelle Nixon again provided her vocal talents to this various artist project. For both of these projects Nixon was a recipient of the IBMA Recording Event of the Year Award in 2006 and 2009 respectively.
In 2007, Nixon toured as part of the "Blowin' the Dust Off" tour with Steve Bassett.* Bluegrassblog.com Blowin' The Dust Off Tour During this same tour season, she played several Bluegrass Festivals that were not part of the Blowin' The Dust Off Tour including Sertoma Youth Ranch Spring Bluegrass Festival in Florida.* St Petersburg Times Hernado Festival Also in 2007 Nixon and her band Drive performed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, as part of the Bluegrass Sundays Winter Concert Series. Strings, newsletter of the Pineridge Bluegrass Folklore Society, January 2007
In 2008, Nixon performed at the Induction ceremonies for the newest members of the Country Music Hall of Fame Tom T. Hall and the Statler Brothers at the request of veteran songwriter Tom T. Hall. Her performance included his song "Harper Valley PTA" which she had recently recorded for her next album.* CMT Article on Country Music Hall of Fame Induction
In 2005 Nixon postponed her California tour due to an illness in the family. Her daughter was undergoing her fourth heart surgery. Due to her own personal experiences, Nixon has often worked with charity organizations such as the American Heart Association and the Shriners. For the past several years she has been the host for the Bluegrass in the Blue Ridge Bluegrass music Festival in Luray, Virginia which is a fund raiser for the Shriners Hospitals for Children.
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