Michael Bland (born March 14, 1969) is an American musician best known as a drummer for

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

starting in 1989. He was with Prince during

The New Power Generation The New Power Generation, also known as The NPG, was the backing band of musician Prince from 1990 to 2013. They were replaced by 3rdeyegirl as his backing band in 2013. In 2015, the New Power Generation reunited as Prince's backing band for h ...

era and played with him live and on albums for seven years. From 1995 to 1997, Bland, along with Sonny Thompson, recorded and played live with French pop star

France Gall Isabelle Geneviève Marie Anne Gall (9 October 1947 – 7 January 2018), known professionally as France Gall, was a French ''yé-yé'' singer. In 1965, aged 17, she won the Eurovision Song Contest for Luxembourg. Between 1973 and 1992, s ...

—they appear on one studio album and two live albums. In 2010, Bland became a member of

Nick Jonas & the Administration Nick Jonas & the Administration was a band formed in late 2009 as a side project by Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers. Performers included singer, pianist, guitarist, drummer, and songwriter Nick Jonas, bassist John Fields, drummer Michael Bland, ...

(a side project of

Nick Jonas Nicholas Jerry Jonas (born September 16, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. Jonas began acting on Broadway at the age of seven, and released his debut single in 2002; this caught the attention of Columbia Records, where Jonas ...

of the

Jonas Brothers The Jonas Brothers () are an American pop rock band. Formed in 2005, they gained popularity from their appearances on the Disney Channel television network. They consist of three brothers: Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas, and Nick Jonas. Raised in W ...

) along with other former members of The New Power Generation, bass player

Sonny T. Sonny T. (born Sonny Thompson) is an American bass player. He was a member of The New Power Generation, Prince's recording and stage band, from 1991–1996. Sonny T. was a member of the Minneapolis bands Back to Black and The Lewis Connectio ...

and keyboardist

Tommy Barbarella Tommy Barbarella (born Thomas Elm) is an American keyboardist. He was a member of The New Power Generation, Prince's recording and stage band, from 1991 to 1996. Barbarella also played on Miley Cyrus's album, '' Breakout''. In 2010, Barbarella be ...

. He worked with

Vulfpeck Vulfpeck is an American funk band founded in 2011 by Jack Stratton, Theo Katzman, Woody Goss and Joe Dart. The band has released four extended plays, five studio albums and a live album, having released all of their music independently. The ba ...

playing drums on "Hero Town," which was released October 2017.

Life and career

Bland was born in

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

. He graduated from

Minneapolis South High School Minneapolis South High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in the Corcoran neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota. A member of the Minneapolis Public Schools district, it is both the oldest and largest public high sc ...

in 1987. He still lives in Minneapolis, but plays in Los Angeles as a session drummer for such artists as

Mandy Moore Amanda Leigh Moore (born April 10, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She rose to fame with her debut single, "Candy", which peaked at number 41 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Her debut studio album, '' So Real'' (1999), recei ...

Clay Aiken Clayton Holmes Aiken (''né'' Grissom; born November 30, 1978) is an American singer, television personality, actor, politician, and activist. Aiken finished second place on the second season of ''American Idol'' in 2003, and his debut album, ' ...

Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson. Lou Pearlman formed the group in 1993 in Orlando, Florida. The gr ...

, and the ''

Anchorman A news presenter – also known as a newsreader, newscaster (short for "news broadcaster"), anchorman or anchorwoman, news anchor or simply an anchor – is a person who presents news during a news program on TV, radio or the Internet. ...

'' soundtrack. He played with Prince from 1989 to 1996,

Paul Westerberg Paul Harold Westerberg (born December 31, 1959) is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for the Replacements. Following the breakup of the Replacements, Westerberg launched a solo career that saw him re ...

in 1996,

Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Qu ...

in 1997, and Maxwell 1998–2000."Drums – Michael Bland"
Yamaha, In 1997, he auditioned as drummer for the new

Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKa ...

lineup. Although

Josh Freese Joshua Ryan Freese (born December 25, 1972) is an American session drummer. He is the son of tuba soloist Stan Freese and the older brother of musician Jason Freese. He is a member of the Vandals (since 1989) and Devo (since 1996), having forme ...

had already been hired, he was working with A Perfect Circle and unable to totally commit. Bland was being considered as a possible full time option. In 2000, he played in the ''Minneapolis'' project of French reed player Michel Portal (the rest of the band was

Tony Hymas Anthony James Keith "Tony" Hymas (born 23 September 1943) is an English keyboard player, pianist, and composer. Career Hymas started as a chorister at Exeter Cathedral School, where his contemporaries included composer and cathedral organist Ba ...

, Vernon Reid and Jef Lee Johnson). With Jef Lee Johnson and Sonny T., Michael Bland created News from the Jungle, which recorded one album for Universal, also produced by Jean Rochard. Both bands, Michel Portal's and News from the Jungle, toured in France (Paris Olympia). Bland also played on several tracks of the Michel Portal album ''Birdwatcher'' in 2006. In 2005, Bland was the drummer for

's tour, and he recently played on the

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

Relief telethon with the

Dixie Chicks The Chicks (previously known as Dixie Chicks) are an American country music band from Dallas, Texas. Since 1995, the band has consisted of Natalie Maines (lead vocals, guitar) and sisters Martie Maguire (vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar) and E ...

. Bland is also now working as a producer, currently working with the upcoming rock-pop band

Catchpenny Catchpenny was an American rock/ pop band. Tommy Stinson, Michael Bland, Phil Solem, Tommy Barbarella, John Fields, and Jim Anton also worked with Catchpenny. The band set record attendance numbers at Hard Rock Cafe in Minneapolis, was feature ...

, also from Minneapolis. He is the drummer on

Soul Asylum Soul Asylum is an American alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their 1993 hit "Runaway Train (Soul Asylum song), Runaway Train" won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. The band was originally called Loud Fast Rule ...

's album '' The Silver Lining''. He also tours with them. Bland, with colleague and ex-NPG member Sonny T. (Thompson) teamed up with Prince once again to provide drumming for the title track of Prince's '' 3121'' album. Bland also played drums on

Indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...

's 2006 album, '' Chasing the Sun''. In 2007 Bland & Thompson laid down the rhythm tracks for some tracks on Prince's 2007 CD ''

Planet Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surface ...

''. When not on tour, Bland can usually be found every Sunday and Monday night at the nightclub "Bunker's" in downtown Minneapolis performing with

Dr. Mambo's Combo Dr. Mambo's Combo, otherwise known as "The Combo", is a soul and R&B band that has been playing at Bunker's Music Bar & Grill in downtown Minneapolis since 1987. Original members include Tim Emerson (Dr. Mambo), Margaret Cox, Billy Franze, Bruce Ja ...

. During the fall of 2007 Michael Bland has been busy working on a release by his own protégé, Mayda, performing with her regularly in the Minneapolis area as well as recording a studio album. Her first release, the ''Stereotype'' EP, came out in 2007. Michael Bland continued working with Mayda and played on and produced a full-length album with her in 2009, titled ''The Interrogation''. Bland and Thompson recorded with Prince, yet again, on his album ''

Lotusflow3r ''Lotusflow3r'' is a triple album set by American recording artist Prince and protégée Bria Valente. It contains the thirty-third and thirty-fourth studio albums by Prince, ''Lotusflow3r'' (stylized as ''LOtUSFLOW3R'') and ''MPLSound'' (stylize ...

'', which was released in 2009. Also in 2009, Bland became a part of

' band,

Nick Jonas and The Administration Nick Jonas & the Administration was a band formed in late 2009 as a side project by Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers. Performers included singer, pianist, guitarist, drummer, and songwriter Nick Jonas, bassist John Fields, drummer Michael Bland ...

, along with ex-Prince bandmates,

Sonny Thompson Sonny Thompson (probably August 23, 1916 – August 11, 1989), born Alfonso Thompson or Hezzie Tompson, was an American Rhythm and blues, R&B bandleader and pianist, popular in the 1940s and 1950s. Biography There is some uncertainty over Thomps ...

and

. This also led to several TV performances with the group, an album, and a tour in early 2010. In a 2016 tribute to Prince for The Pods & Sods Network, Michael shares memories about joining the New Power Generation, Prince as a bandleader, working in the studio and reflections about his time in Prince's band. According to

Cory Wong Cory Wong (born c. 1985) is a Grammy-nominated American guitarist, bassist, songwriter, podcast-host, and producer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has released many works as a solo artist and in partnership with others. His background spans ...

, Bland has

perfect pitch Perfect commonly refers to: * Perfection, completeness, excellence * Perfect (grammar), a grammatical category in some languages Perfect may also refer to: Film * ''Perfect'' (1985 film), a romantic drama * ''Perfect'' (2018 film), a science ...

and is known to tune his snare drum to the tonic pitch of the song. Bland still records and tours with Soul Asylum. The band toured in 2020, in support of its latest release "Hurry Up And Wait". The tour was cut short by COVID-19. However, the new album is the best-selling Soul Asylum release since the mid 90's. * ''

I Am I Am or I'm may refer to: Language and literature * "I Am that I Am", a common English translation of the response God used in the Hebrew Bible when Moses asked for His name ** I am (biblical term), a Christian term used in the Bible * "I Am" (po ...

'' –

Elisa Fiorillo Elisa Fiorillo (born February 28, 1969, Philadelphia) is an American singer, best known for appearing on the 1987 Jellybean song "Who Found Who", which reached number 10 on the UK Singles Chart. Personal life Fiorillo was born into a musical fa ...

(1990) * ''Smile Blue'' – Ricky Peterson (1991) * ''

Diamonds and Pearls ''Diamonds and Pearls'' is the thirteenth studio album by American recording artist Prince, and the first with his new backing band The New Power Generation. It was released on October 1, 1991, by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. Records. ...

'' –

and the

New Power Generation The New Power Generation, also known as The NPG, was the backing band of musician Prince from 1990 to 2013. They were replaced by 3rdeyegirl as his backing band in 2013. In 2015, the New Power Generation reunited as Prince's backing band for ...

(1991) * ''Whatever Happened to the Blues'' –

Phil Upchurch Philip Upchurch (born July 19, 1941) is an American jazz and blues guitarist and bassist. Career Upchurch started his career working with the Kool Gents, the Dells, and the Spaniels, before going on to work with Curtis Mayfield, Otis Rush, and ...

(1992) * '' I'm Ready'' –

Tevin Campbell Tevin Jermod Campbell (born November 12, 1976) is an American singer and songwriter. He performed gospel in his local church from an early age. Following an audition for jazz musician Bobbi Humphrey in 1988, Campbell was signed to Warner Bros. Re ...

(1993) * ''

The Voice The Voice may refer to: Fictional entities * The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics * The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe * The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...

'' –

Mavis Staples Mavis Staples (born July 10, 1939) is an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer, actress, and civil rights activist. She rose to fame as a member of her family's band The Staple Singers (she is the last surviving member of that band). Durin ...

(1993) * ''

1-800-NEW-FUNK ''1-800-NEW-FUNK'' is a compilation album by Prince's NPG Records, meant to showcase artists signed to the record label. It was released on July 20, 1994. The title of the album was also a toll-free phone number in North America for customers t ...

'' – Various Artists (1994) * ''

Come Come may refer to: *Comè, a city and commune in Benin *Come (Tenos), an ancient town on Tenos island, Greece Music *Come (American band), an American indie rock band formed in 1990 *Come (UK band), a British noise project founded in 1979 **Come ...

'' – Prince and the New Power Generation (1994) * ''

3 Chains o' Gold ''3 Chains o' Gold'' is a 1994 American direct-to-video film produced and directed by Prince and starring Prince and The New Power Generation. It is a collection of videos for songs from ''Love Symbol'', tied together with a loose plotline. The fi ...

'' – Prince and the New Power Generation (1994) * ''

The Gold Experience ''The Gold Experience'' is the seventeenth studio album by American singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Prince. It was credited to his stage name at the time, an unpronounceable symbol (shown on the album cover), also known as ...

'' – Prince and the New Power Generation (1995) * ''A Tear Can Tell'' – Ricky Peterson (1995) * ''Love Is Strange'' – Phil Upchurch (1995) * '' Closer than Close'' –

Rosie Gaines Rosie Gaines (born Rosemary Gaines; June 26, 1960) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer from Pittsburg, California. Gaines is a former band member of Prince's group, The New Power Generation. She duetted with singer Prince on th ...

(1995) * ''

Chaos and Disorder ''Chaos and Disorder'' is the 19th studio album by American recording artist Prince. It was released on July 9, 1996, by Warner Bros. Records. The album reached number 26 in the United States - his poorest performance with an album of new mater ...

'' – Prince (1996) * ''

Emancipation Emancipation generally means to free a person from a previous restraint or legal disability. More broadly, it is also used for efforts to procure economic and social rights, political rights or equality, often for a specifically disenfranchis ...

'' – Prince (1996) * ''

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

'' –

(1996) * ''Live at the Olympia'' – France Gall (1996) * ''Salinas'' –

Luis Salinas Luis Salinas (born 24 June 1957) is an Argentine jazz guitarist who plays electric and nylon string guitars. His music includes elements of bossa nova, samba, Afro-Uruguayan candombe, salsa, boleros, and jazz. He blends traditional South Americ ...

(1996) * '' Eventually'' –

(1996) * ''Concert Privé'' – France Gall (1997) * '' That's Right'' –

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, pla ...

(1997) * ''

Crystal Ball A crystal ball, also known as an orbuculum or crystal sphere, is a crystal or glass ball and common fortune-telling object. It is generally associated with the performance of clairvoyance and scrying in particular. In more recent times, the cry ...

'' – Prince (1998) * ''

CPR Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure consisting of chest compressions often combined with artificial ventilation in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore sponta ...

'' –

David Crosby David Van Cortlandt Crosby (born August 14, 1941) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Crosby joined the Byrds in 1964. They got ...

(1998) * ''Minneapolis'' –

Michel Portal Michel Portal (born 27 November 1935) is a French composer, saxophonist, and clarinetist. He plays both jazz and classical music and is considered to be "one of the architects of modern European jazz". Early life Portal was born in Bayonne on ...

(2000) * ''

Now Now most commonly refers to the present time. Now, NOW, or The Now may also refer to: Organizations * Natal Organisation of Women, a South African women's organization * National Organization for Women, an American feminist organization * Now ...

'' – Maxwell (2001) * ''News From The Jungle'' – Jef Lee Johnson (2001)"Jef Lee Johnson – Sonny Thompson (2) – Michael Bland – News From The Jungle"
Discogs. * '' The Handler'' –

Har Mar Superstar Sean Tillmann (born February 6, 1978) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. He has performed and released studio albums as Sean Na Na and as a member of hardcore band Calvin Krime, but is best known for his work under the name Har Mar Super ...

(2004) * ''

Coverage Coverage may refer to: Filmmaking * Coverage (lens), the size of the image a lens can produce * Camera coverage, the amount of footage shot and different camera setups used in filming a scene * Script coverage, a short summary of a script, wri ...

'' –

(2004) * ''Open Season Motion Picture Soundtrack - (Paul Westerberg) (2005) * '' 3121'' – Prince (2006) * '' Turn Around'' –

Jonny Lang Jon Gordon Langseth Jr. (born January 29, 1981), known as Jonny Lang, is an American blues, gospel, and rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He has made five albums that have charted on the top 50 of the ''Billboard'' 200 chart and has wo ...

(2006) * '' The Silver Lining'' – Soul Asylum (2006) * ''Birdwatcher'' – Michel Portal (2007) * ''

'' – Prince (2007) * '' Bringing Back the Funk'' –

Brian Culbertson Brian Culbertson (born January 12, 1973) is an American smooth jazz/ R&B/funk musician and producer. His instruments include the synthesizer, piano and trombone. Early life and career Culbertson was born in Decatur, Illinois. As a child, he wa ...

(2008) *'' Breakout'' –

Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop ...

(2008) * ''

'' – Prince (2009) * '' Who I Am –

(2010) * ''Crescendo in Duke'' - Benoît Delbecq (2012) * ''Delayed Reaction'' -

(2012) * ''Change Of Fortune'' - Soul Asylum (2016) * ''Mr. Finish Line'' –

(2017) * ''Hurry Up And Wait'' - Soul Asylum (2020) * ''The Striped Album'' -

(2020) From and.

References

External links

Michael Bland
a
DrummerworldMichael Bland Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2008) {{DEFAULTSORT:Bland, Michael 1969 births Living people Musicians from Minneapolis African-American rock musicians American funk drummers American male drummers New Power Generation members 20th-century American drummers Soul Asylum members Nick Jonas & the Administration members South High School (Minnesota) alumni

Life and career

See also

References

External links