Creating Culture: Mike Hosty

Written by Kari Huskey

If you have been in Oklahoma for even a short time, you have more than likely heard the name Mike Hosty. Since my college days, I have been exposed to Mike’s unique form of music and when I was thinking about the talent for my first local music scene story, his name popped straight to the top. 

Mike Hosty has been in Oklahoma his entire life and has been an intricate part of our state’s music scene for past 27 years. Growing up in Oklahoma City, he was exposed to many platforms of music. When asked about major influences in his music he had this to say:

“Oklahoma has an undiscovered or forgotten funk and soul history even going back to the Blue Devils Jazz from the Deep Deuce era. Then in the 80’s, a funk kind of sound and gap band style… I used to go to the flea markets with my dad and they always had some type of funky music playing… That music intrigues me when I listen to it. It has a lot of funk and soul and hip hop from the late 70’s and early 80’s … Guys like Roger Troutman … all the sugar hill artists and hip hop… George Benson…”

Although you hear these beats in his music, Mike categorizes his type of music as “a little bit of everything.” It’s not Red Dirt and it’s not Blues, but it IS Red Dirt and it IS Blues. He usually tells people that ask that it is “Novelty Music” because it is quirky and fun and good for dancing -- it is good times music. What kind of music will you find on his iPod? It includes Tom Waites …. A musician named Bongo Joe…. A guy who played drums on two steel trash cans at a Houston Flea Market. Django Reinhardt …. Older stuff from 20’s-30’s. He admits that he is really intrigued with the sound of that era.

Through the years Mike’s music has evolved through the technology available. “The albums before 2004 were all done on two-inch and one-inch analog tape. The parts had to be rehearsed, to save studio time. Digital editing has changed how quick something can come but it also lends itself to endless tweaking making in some instances the recording process even longer. There’s just so much you can do. For many of the tracks there are drum machines and computer generated drum parts too as well as homemade loops, which lend better to the digital world. As for songwriting, “I let the song take me where it wants to go. I am just along for the ride.”

As I listened to Mike’s music, I found that it has a wide variety of tempos that will make any music fan happy. For instance, you will dig the Reggae sound of Sunshine off the Un Hombre Malo album.  Are you a Motown fan? Get the jive of Motion from Anthology 92-95. Blues more your style? No Love Left from Anthology 92-95 will do it for you.

Mike just released his 16th full length Uno in January and plans to promote it by embarking on a multi-state tour in through Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee and all points in between.  

You can catch also Mike Hosty in Norman every Sunday night at 10pm at The Deli. He also plays a standing show in Bricktown every other Tuesday at JJ’s Alley.  He will be jamming at Jazz in June in Norman as a Duo with Jamie Oldaker who was the drummer for Eric Clapton 1974-1985.

In his off time, Mike also teaches Music Appreciation and History at ACM at the University of Central Oklahoma. He loves helping to develop young new talent and hopes that OKC embraces all these talented up and coming artists.

You can find more information on Mike Hosty as well as tour dates on his website www.Hosty.com.  Here you will find access to all his music:

1992 Zulu King “Its Just that Easy” EP

1993 Mopheads “Mophead” EP

1994 Hosty and The Silvatones (Cassette)

1994 Heater “Heater” (Casette)

1995 Heater “BurnOne"

1996 Hosty Trio “Volume”

1997 Hosty Trio “Gusto”

1998 Hosty Trio “3”

1999 Hosty Trio “Wig Trig”

2000 Hosty Trio presents Ten Pound Hammer “One Too Heavy”

2001 Mike Hosty “Un Hombre Malo”

2002 Hosty “Live in Denver"

2003 Hosty Duo “Golden Country Hits”

2004 Hosty “Duo”

2006 Hosty “Live at the Deli I”

2006 Hosty “Live at the Deli II”

2008 Hosty “The Mousetrap Sessions”

2012 Hosty “Duo II”

2015 Hosty “Duo Yay”

2017 Hosty “Uno”

Follow Mike on his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MikeHostyOK/  for updates and new music!