Arts & Entertainment
Chatsworth Guitar Star Nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award
Mike Turner caps career with possibility of a major television honor.
It now seems like it’s almost all child’s play for Emmy-nominated musician Mike Turner, who started playing guitar at age 7 back in Tulsa, OK, when you look at some of his credits.
Yet, the talented local musician and family guy is not exactly an overnight star. “I moved to Chatsworth 2½ years ago from Woodland Hills, with my wife Martina, and our kids Lindsay and Luke and we just love it here!”
The hard-working Turner, who is capable of covering all styles of acoustic and electric guitar, mandolin, trumpet, keyboards and vocals, has been nominated for next month's Daytime Emmy. The nod is for Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, airing daily on the Disney Channel and in more than 120 countries. His partner Mike Himmelstein is also up for an Emmy.
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“We also write songs and score for TV’s Special Agent Oso voiced by Sean Astin, on the Disney Channel and Jim Henson’s Sid the Science Kid on PBS. That’s only a slice of the pie in Mike Turner's impressive resume.
Proficient in arranging for horns, strings and vocals, Turner has paid his dues. He attended the University of Tulsa, where he received a music scholarship for trumpet. “After a couple of years I was looking at transferring to a new school, but ended up moving to California. That was in 1983, and I got to play with fellow Tulsan, notorious actor Gary Busey, an accomplished drummer. Their band Gris Gris Ya Ya managed to nab a regular gig at the still-popular venue, Calabasas’ Sagebrush Cantina. "Gary's brother David, came up with the name, it's some kinda cajun term."
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“From there I started making my way into other bands and session work as a guitar player. That led to producing records and songs for various artists and TV shows.” John Fogerty, Captain and Tennille, John Stamos and Lou Rawls are just some of these stars.
“After producing two albums for Walt Disney Records, they began asking me to write songs as well. I received a Gold Record for the album, Take My Hand. Songs from the Hundred Acre Woods on Walt Disney Records, and wrote the featured single Never Alone (Eeyore’s Lullabye)”. Now it’s just a matter of waiting for the words “Envelope, please,” for the two Mikes.
