Michael Oliver Hill, born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina is the only child of Ethella and Albert Hill. Michael O. Hill came from a background where both parents were involved in music for most of their adult lives. Ethella was very involved in the church choir, while Albert and his friends had started a Rock-n-Roll band by the name of Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs, which is still well known in the beach music circles today. Both parents’ musical involvement had a direct influence in the way he has embraced his own musical experience. At an early age, Michael started singing in the children’s choir at their family church, but during his early teens, he gained interest in the secular arena and by age 19, he became a member of an adult band by the name of the Exact Band. Ironically, this was the same band that his father played for when Mike was a toddler. For three years Michael Hill enjoyed the limelight of singing lead and backup vocals for the Exact band. He toured numerous cities in and around the United States, gaining traction at every venue they sang. Michael’s melodious voice and his calm personality made him easily likable by peers and fans. Night after night he witnessed the stage lit up with colorful lights. He heard the enthusiastic clamor of an energetic crowd screaming encore after encore. This was a turning point for him, and by this, he knew that he was destined for success. 

 

With all the prestige and the thrill that comes with fame, at twenty-three years old, his heart was yearning for his first love - gospel music. Although he was torn between the two, he left the rambunctious life style of secular music and headed back for the church.  The years went by; he met his wife and started a family while he continued to expand his musical journey in the ministry. Michael has won many hearts with his gift of singing in both arenas, and although he traded the glamour of secular fame for the pews with much softer lights and a calmer ambiance, he did not see it as a loss. Other doors began to open; he was introduced to a new crowd, and he began to meet many influential people. Michael Hill became a household name and a frequent soloist at many local churches and organizations around Charlotte.  He performed the National Anthem for pro basketball and football games as well as at some halftime entertainments. Michael was also involved in musicals across Charlotte, and in 2005, he recorded his first album.  

 

Like everything else in life, changes are inevitable, and those changes took him away from the music scene for a period. Although his absence was an extended one, he was preoccupied with family and caring for his beloved mother.  In 2017, he met one of the producers of Sixteen Bars Multimedia who invited him to their studio. It was by chance that the producer overheard him singing and took the initiative to write a song for him. When he heard the song for the first time, something happened.

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In that instance, his face lit up and he smiled a mile-long grin. Michael realized that he had stepped back into his true self as a talented vocalist. The producer asked him if he would be interested in recording the song, his reply was a resounding yes. “in that moment, I felt the urge to sing again. It was as if I could hear my mom’s voice telling me that God is not finished using me as yet.” Michael said that there was something about the way his mother said those words that resonated with him when he heard the song. “I became fully aware that it was not only because I love to sing, but because God needed me to do it, and for the first time in a very long time I had a desire to sing again, and it was healing. I have been away from the music for a while, and I knew that if I were to sing again, God would have to open the door, but I was clueless as to how to move forward.” “I had walked away from the music many times, but it always seems to find me, and when it does, it hits me in ways that I cannot not deny I was made for this. Since I have been working with 16-Bars, I look forward to belting out those notes again. I believe that I am ready to take my rightful place in the industry. This music has a new taste to it, the lyric and the sweet vibes that my producers bring is now pulsating through my veins and I am unequivocally certain that as long as there is music, I will sing.”