Michael Dowdle
Michael Dowdle was born in Oklahoma. By age five he was playing the piano. His school years found him playing the violin in school orchestras, but attracted by Rock ‘n Roll, he picked up the guitar and played with bands.
He began doing studio work professionally as a session guitarist in 1980, and has since done thousands of sessions in every style of music. Some were for artists such as Marie Osmond, The Osmond Brothers, John Schneider, Mr. T, David Archuletta, and The Jets. Michael has played on several movie scores, including “Born to Be Wild,” “The Stand,” “Christmas in Connecticut,” “The Yearling,” and “Hart to Hart” among many others. Most of the studio work Michael does is for TV Networks, such as ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX, as well as cable networks such as CNBC, TNT, and the USA network. This work includes ABC Sports Main Theme, ABC College Football, ABC Monday Night Football, FOX Fall Campaigns, and also TV shows such as Good Morning America (ABC), The Today Show (NBC), The Oprah Winfrey Show and many more (official website).
As a composer, he has written many themes for TV and radio use, and has also written music for movie trailers. He’s written for the Utah Jazz and the 2002 Olympics. After 3 successful albums, Michael contracted with Lex de Azevedo to record an album of fifty acoustic guitar hymns (“50 Favorite Hymns”). Created in 1984, the album is still popular today. Two more albums of hymns followed, and then two Christmas albums.
In 2001 Michael signed on with Sounds of Zion to do a series of acoustic guitar albums for the LDS market. This series has five award-winning albums; “25 Beloved Hymns of Christ,” ”25 Beloved Hymns of the Restoration,” ”25 Beloved Hymns of Prayer and Faith,” ”25 Beloved Primary Songs” and “25 Beloved Carols of Christmas.”
Michael has won many Pearl Awards from FCMA (The Faith-Centered Music Association), a total of 13 to date.
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Recent Posts
Right out of High School into Missionary Work
It was expected that there would be a surge in the number of full-time Mormon missionaries, and then that the number would decrease and level out. That’s not what has happened.
The Piano Guys – Five Mormons Creating Beautiful Music
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The Passing of Phil Kesler from Voice Male
Phil Kesler passed away on February 11th, 2010, from metastatic colorectal cancer. His sweet wife, Heidi, and daughter Eden, were by his side at home as he peacefully passed on. Phil had a love of poetry and music, and was with Voice Male from its beginnings, a...
80 Years of “Music and the Spoken Word”
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is celebrating their 80th year of the popular "Music and the Spoken Word" broadcast. Richard L. Evans (pictured) was the beloved announcer for Music and the Spoken Word from 1930 to 1971. Following Brother Evans, two men have carried the...
LDS “Music and the Spoken Word”
TV/Radio Program Makes History in Europe & AmericaWhen the Mormon Tabernacle Choir on July 15, 2009 will celebrate its 80th year of broadcasting the CBS Network program of Music and the Spoken Word, the longest continuous program in the history of radio...