Mike Patton - Acoustic Bass and Vocals

Mike grew up in Fairburn, Georgia and his interest in music began by singing in church. He moved on to play alto saxophone while in high school and also started playing guitar in his late teens. Mike's parents took him to several local area bluegrass festivals as a teenager which was the beginning of his love for bluegrass. When Mike and Tracy Burdette became roommates in the mid 1980's, Mike started playing both country and bluegrass music with Tracy and other friends. In the late 1980's Mike met Murray Freeman through a business venture. After learning of Mike's interest in bluegrass, Murray soon invited Mike to sing and play occasionally, and it wasn't long before Mike and Tracy started playing with Murray and Connie in “The Ridgerunners” on a regular basis. When Murray and Connie merged “The Ridgerunners” and Georgia Bound in 1992, Mike's ability to sing all vocal parts, and his willingness to switch from guitar to bass when needed, have made him an integral part of the Georgia Bound sound.