Michael Alan Katz grew up in unincorporated rural South Florida, just East of the Everglades. At an early age, his parents, Marty and Debbee, introduced him to the great songwriters of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s.
At 10, they brought him to see John Denver perform. This inspired him to start messing around with an old Harmony arch top, which had previously been used by his uncle, Terry (who was an accomplished barbershop singer and rhythm guitarist).
At 11, he became enamored with the melodies of Queen and the Beatles. At 12, he became fascinated with Bob Dylan’s ability to combine music that evoked deep emotion with lyrics that evoked deep thought.
Dylan’s ability to do this over and over, with each album creating a totally different feel, made him seem superhuman. Then, at 14, Katz got the opportunity to meet Dylan. The mythical figure became a real person, who demonstrated what could be accomplished when an artist was totally dedicated to their art. From this point on, Katz knew he would be a songwriter.