Certain people are born to do certain things. One of those people is the front man for River Road. Mike Caudle was born to be a front man. He was born to entertain audiences. Mike had an abundance of inspiration growing up in a musical church that had a traveling Christian Band based out of it, while he also had an uncle to look up to that many consider one of the greatest rock singers to ever come out of the area, Richard Caudle. Throw in some long-ass bus rides to and from school listening to 80’s and 90’s country and these influences all laid the foundation for one of the most powerful vocalists people will ever hear. Blessed with incredible range and power that very few humans are born with, Mike Caudle embodies what it means to be a lead singer.  He met guitarist Jesse Michaels in middle school, and they began writing songs and playing together in 1997. By 2002, River Road was off to the races. Mike’s passion for performing and infectious spirit is what separates him from all the others. He makes jaws drop and conversations stop when he begins singing. You have to see him perform live to truly “feel the thunder”.

River Road Co-Founder Steve Michaels, AKA “Old Man River”, has been playing guitar for over 50 years. He was inspired at a young age by his Uncle Bill Trillingham, who was a Lafayette musician renown for his Chet Atkins 3-finger style guitar pickin. When Steve was 10 years old, his neighbor and local Scruggs-Style banjo-ace neighbor, Bob Crane, introduced Steve to the guitar and bluegrass. When Steve kept coming back to Bob every day with requests for more and more training, it was clear very early on that Steve was a child prodigy. Bob began taking Steve to Bluegrass festivals at a young age, and by age 13 he was pulled up on stage with Bill Monroe at Bean Blossom to perform some songs with him. Playing with Bill was defining moment in Steve’s long musical career that has included playing with bands rock bands Sidewinder, Recycled White Trash, acoustic 2-man shows with his son and fellow River Road bandmate Jesse Michaels. Steve is equally proud of having the guts to quit his factory job at age 50 and embarking on a very long solo career that took him from Colorado to Michigan. In addition to growing up on the Wabash River, Steve’s cabin downstream has provided the backdrop and inspiration for many of the songs and memories of River Road’s original music. He views his 15+ years playing in River Road with his son Jesse, his “second son” Mike Caudle, and his bandmates as the pinnacle of his career. Since suffering a stroke in 2021, Steve has fought his ass off to make it back to the stage and still plays solo and with a host of local musicians. Steve still supports River Road via songwriting, suggestions, and wisdom. River Road will continue to tap into his large catalog of hundreds of songs in the years to come.