Michael Conard – AKA : Mikey
Mikey, who joined Blue Ridge originally back in 1993, plays the keyboard, and as he jokes, washes the windshield on the bus at gas stations. Actually we know him to also be very helpful in setting up and breaking down the equipment at the events.

His first stint with the group was from 1993 until 2003. He recently rejoined the group back in September of 2008. He was discovered by the group at one of Franklin, NC’s famed events, Picking on the Square back in October of 1992. Mikey was playing with a local trio called “Surrender”. Kevin introduced himself and asked Mikey if he would be interested in auditioning with BR. Kevin called the next week, Michael auditioned, and they asked him to start traveling in January of 1993 when Tony left the group.

If you ran into Mikey when he was away from the group or his job you might find him gardening, teaching piano lessons, or at his nephew’s baseball games. He also enjoys jumping off bridges and rocks into rivers and lakes – the bigger and higher, the better. He needs a little mental counseling it seems.

Mikey attends Pinnacle Church in Canton, NC where he plays the keyboard for their Praise and Worship Band. He was saved in August of 1979 in a revival at Spring Hill Baptist Church in Canton, NC.

Michael’s better half is his wife Linda. How she puts up with him… Well, just pray for her please.

When he was asked about a road story or two he had a sparkle in his eye as he started pulling about eight or so from his memories. They will make you buckle over in laughter as you can just envision some of these taking place in your mind. As he says, he has sooooo many of them. Here are some scaled down for you.

1. The trip coming back from a show in Atlanta. It was late at night on the highway, the lights went out on the bus and the guys held flashlights out the driver and passenger windows so they could see to get down the road.
2. Kevin and Mikey running out of gas in Rollo’s van on the way back from Florida to Gateway Baptist in GA. They laughed so hard over this they cried!
3. The time the transmission FALL OUT OF THE BUS on 985 outside Gainsville, GA and sets the median on fire for a mile. The break lines were ripped out during the incident so the bus had to roll to a stop a long way down the highway. AND the transmission sitting on the highway at night knocked a hole in the oil pan of a vehicle not far behind them.
4. Eating lunch at someone’s house and the family dog is licking Mikey and Neil’s ankles under the table. Neil and Mikey were growling and barking at the dog.
5. Mikey’s blood sugar dropped and he had a red napking at the Sage Brush restaurant. Eric was trying to force feed him a hot fudge cake to get his levels back up.
6. The time Dwight had six lanes of traffic blocked with the Silver Eagle in downtown Orland… They saw many car drivers slowly pass by with the ‘you’re #1’ signs!
7. A few of the groups favorite lines that Mikey has spoken in years past that will be mentioned on every trip BR takes and NEVER forgotten like: ‘I’ll not darken the doors…’, ‘They better not make me mad or…’, ‘To keep people like you away’, or the ‘I told you three times… I don’t understand Dah, Dah, Dah, Dah!!!’