Mike Settle

Mike Settle is an American songwriter, journalist, broadcaster, and singer. He was born Michael Ward Settle in Tulsa, Oklahoma on March 20, 1941. He began honing his musical talents in seventh grade when he bought a ukulele, a four-stringed instrument popularized in Hawaii for eight dollars. The songwriter later commented "that was a lot of money to a kid at the time", and that he had earned the money caddying for his dad and his golfing buddies. Settle taught himself to play the instrument out of a book, but had been singing in front of relatives and friends since the first grade. In the late '50s Settle spent four years working with the Tulsa Boys Singers choir of Tulsa. It was during this time that he learned to sight-read. It wasn’t until high school however that Settle decided to purse becoming a musician professionally, after his choral director, Tom Hayden of Muskogee High School in Muskogee, OK, encouraged the aspiring musician.

Settle continued his passion as a music student at Oklahoma City University, where he met Mason Williams, a future comedy writer for The Smothers Brothers and composer of the 1968 hit "Classical Gas." Together they formed a folk trio in college, Settle eventually dropped out of school to tour with John Stewart's group, the Cumberland Three. When John Stewart joined the Kingston Trio, Settle formed a duo with Mason Williams until Williams was drafted into the Navy. Bob Gibson got him a job as an opening act at The Bitter End in New York City, Settle stayed in New York for six years, while continuing to perform and write. He later was told by his publisher, The Richmond Organization, about an opening in California with the New Christy Minstrels, an American large-ensemble folk music group founded by Randy Sparks in 1961, who Settle was made musical director for. During this time Settle released his debut solo album Folk Sing Hallelujah (1961) as Mike Settle and the Settlers, which received strong reviews, and the title track "Sing Hallelujah" was covered on singles by several artists in Europe, as well as being a hit for Judy Collins (1967). In addition, his song "Settle Down (Goin' Down That Highway)" was recorded by Peter, Paul, and Mary on their 1963 album, Moving and was its second single.

Settle eventually left Kenny Rogers and the First Edition to be with his family, but was later a member of the group Running Bear and Goldstein which recorded the original song "Rings", popularized by Cymarron in 1971) and Lobo in 1974). He also contributed three songs to the soundtrack of the 1971 cult classic movie Vanishing Point. In 1971 Settle sang lead on the song "You Are The One" by the Sugar Bears, which eventually peaked at #51 on the Billboard pop chart in April 1972. In 1974 Settle performed on TV folk music special with Alex Hassilev and Dave Guard. He joined Glenn Yarbrough and the Limelighters toward the end of the late 70s, becoming musical director for them as well. In addition to his own album releases, Settle was credited over the years variously as a producer, arranger, vocalist, and musician on albums by Kim Carnes, John Stewart, Glenn Yarbrough, and the Kingston Trio.

All in all, Settle wrote over 120 songs, including the BMI Award-Winning Song "But You Know I Love You," first recorded by the First Edition, and famously performed by Kenny Rogers solo, Dolly Parton, and Alison Krauss. His songs have been covered by Glen Campbell, Judy Collins, Bobby Goldsboro, Barbara Lewis, the Springfields, Wayne Newton, and many others. Today, Settle lives in Nashville, where he continues to write songs, and works as a journalist and music critic.