Photos

Mike Adkins

Uncle Kracker

"Years before my success w/ Uncle Kracker, I managed a guitar store we'll allow to remain nameless. Over the 4 years that I worked there, I had the opportunity to play and sell just about every guitar that PRS has to offer. I can safely say that PRS has a feel and tonal quality to their guitars that is incomparable. The guitars are literally in a league of their own, and designed to cater to ANY type of player."

Mike Adkins, guitarist for Uncle Kracker, grew up in Livonia, Michigan a suberb of Detroit. Born in 1983, he began learning classical piano at the young age of 8 years old. Just a few years later, he moved on to the guitar which would become his passion for rest of his life. Adkins, prior to joining Uncle Kracker, had already shared the stage w/ musical greats such as: Eric Clapton, BB King, and Jeff Beck. He was raised on classic rock and blues, and that influence definitely shows in his playing. "My parents took me to my first concert at a very young age, I saw the Stones when I was 6 years old and it changed my life..." says Adkins. In 2009, Mike was tapped by Top Dawg/Atlantic recording artist Uncle Kracker, and since has played countless shows w/ the band, appeared in the music video for the new single "Smile", and has had the opportunity to appear on numerous television shows including The Tonight Show w/ Conan O'Brien, Regis & Kelly Live, Fox & Friends, and the CBS Early show, just to name a few. Mike proudly endorses Robert Keeley Electronics, Nady Wireless Inc, GHS Strings, and Egnater Amplifiers.

Uncle Kracker's current Platinum certified hit single, "Smile," continues to explode across a variety of radio formats. The track -- included on "HAPPY HOUR," Uncle Kracker's latest album -- has already reached #2 at Hot AC, where it remains a Top 10 favorite. What's more, "Smile" is now ascending the airplay charts at both Country and CHR/Pop, where it is now climbing into the TOP 5. In addition, the track's companion video clip is in rotation at VH1, where it has been a fixture on the channel's "VH1 Top 20 Countdown", as well as a TOP 20 Favorite on CMT, since its initial release last August. And as if all that weren't enough, the "Smile" ringtone is a Top 20 seller on this week's Nielsen RingScan's top-downloaded master ringtones chart.

The next single off the album is a duet between Uncle Kracker and Kid Rock w/ the song entitled "Good To Be Me", a live performance can be seen on the ABC special covering the CMA Festival in Nashville, TN, airing on September 1st, 2010.