The rest as they say was history! Mostly self-taught, he spent one year at North Texas State University hanging around some very talented players such as Lyle Mays and many big band jazzers that eventually led to his first recording contract with a country band in Texas.

He then came back to Detroit and had a couple of bands (one with Mark Pasman now host of the Motor City Blues Project for many years) before the New York Express picked him up and within 3 years had an Atlantic recording contract.

Over the last 35 years Mike has produced CD’s, written commercially in all genres of music, arranged and co-written many songs as well. He is giving back now and teaching the teachers, the professionals and the students that want to have a professional or semi-professional career. He still enjoys performing the most as detailed in the following history from his move to Indiana and now Las Vegas!

After moving to northern Indiana in 1997 he sat in with the Elwood Splinters Blues Band (featuring Ole' Harv of the Blues Revue for the past 30 years) and was asked if he would join their band. They celebrated their 20th anniversary CD release at Martha's Midway Tavern on 3/7/09. He has been asked by many fans to do a solo CD which was released on 3/21/2009 at the Phoenix Bar and Grill in Mishawaka, IN. Catch some clips of the new CD "Blue Shores" on his website. Just recently at the Fort Wayne Blues Festival, "Detroit" Mike was invited to play with the great Tommy Castro Band and afterwards Tommy asked if he could call him for future gigs in the region! And that he did inviting Mike to join him in August of 2009 in Grand Rapids at Blues on the Mall and in Auburn Hills, MI at Callahan’s. In Grand Rapids 6000 showed up to celebrate Tommy's new CD.

Although it was hard for Mike to leave so many great musicians and friends in the Indiana area, he felt called to travel west to the entertainment capitol of the world...Las Vegas, and it didn't take long for guitarist, Guy Amato to scoop up Mike as the keyboardist for his new band NRQ New Rhythm Quartet. He also performs regularly for BMA award winning, Lady J Huston & The Fireballs and Rheda K's Jazz Krew as well as many others that hire "Detroit" Mike Hepner for their live gigs and studio sessions.



Michael continues to be thankful to his wife, Becky, his family, friends and the musicians that have believed in him and his playing for the past 35 years.