This story originally appeared in the Sept. 15 issue of the Community Voice. For your own subscription, call 270-384-9454.
Michael Bradshaw ’s grandfather, John Shirley, played music at Hutchison Church on Pelham Branch Rd. in Adair County. Shirley was a talented musician, and his abilities were never in doubt.
Shirley helped get Bradshaw’s musical career started after buying him a mandolin when he was just a young child. Many hours of personal lessons with his grandfather, long practice sessions on his own, and all that hard work has paid off. Bradshaw is now the lead guitarist for the band, No Deceit.
“I was staying with my grandparents while my parents went out to eat one day,” Bradshaw said. “He bought me a mandolin and by the time they had gotten back, he had already taught me how to play the beginning of ‘Amazing Grace.’
“That got me started. I played the mandolin for a while, then I was introduced to the guitar. That was it. After learning the guitar, I knew that is all I ever wanted to do.”
Bradshaw is the son of Mark and Rachel Bradshaw. He works at Morgan Smith Indus- tries in Columbia and tours most weekends with No Deceit. They will be performing during Downtown Days this year.
After graduating high school in 2007, Bradshaw attended Lindsey Wilson College before finishing at Western Kentucky University. In college, he met Bryce McDaniel, who at the time was the drummer of No Deceit. The two connect- ed again after graduation as McDaniel wanted Bradshaw to join the band.
“I basically learned a lot of songs really quick and a couple of weeks later we were playing a show in Nashville,” Bradshaw said. “I have been addicted ever since.”
Bradshaw is joined by Erik Scott on bass, Douglas Hurt on drums and lead singer Allison Stafford.
“Our music has its influences in country, but me and the guys are pretty much rock and roll metal heads,” Bradshaw said. “You will hear the country from Allison, in the way she presents the songs. You may hear a guitar solo that’s not very country, but rock and roll based. We kind of blend everything and make it our own.”
No Deceit performs original tunes but also plays covers of performers like Chris Stapleton and Steel Woods.
“We try to put as much energy and interaction with the fans into the show as we can,” Brad- shaw said. “We feed off the fans. If they’re having a good time, we will have a good time and that helps create the magic on stage. We want the audience to be engaged the entire time.”
That is what he hopes fans attending this year’s Downtown Days will find.
“Playing music is the most natural high you can get,” said Bradshaw. “You’re playing some- thing that you’ve spent hours and hours and hours working on. Then, you get a chance to play it in front of people you’ve never met, and they are enjoying it. All the hard work and practice is worth it. And when you create something original that is yours, and people sing it back , it is something you can’t get enough of. If you can do that, you’re hooked.”
By Scott Wilson
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