Singer-songwriter Michael C. Parris hails from Millboro, N.C.—a place best known, perhaps, as where Daner Johnson taught Charlie Poole to play the banjo. Michael’s grandfather, Red Parris, played alongside Daner in the late ’30s, and that early musical lineage runs straight through Michael’s work. Songs by Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, Emmylou Harris, John Prine and Waylon Jennings filled his childhood, and their influence echoes unmistakably throughout his music.

Growing up in Randolph County, Michael spent his days hunting rabbit, priming tobacco, working in chicken houses, milking cows, playing basketball, listening to country music and running wild with his cousins. He later attended UNC–Greensboro, and in 2002, while serving in Jamaica with the Peace Corps, he began writing songs—setting in motion the artistic path that would define his life.

When Covid hit, Michael began posting his songs on social media. Fate stepped in when his music found its way to Will Kimbrough, the Nashville-based songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. Will became both collaborator and mentor, helping Michael refine his craft. He encouraged Michael to attend the Mercyland Songwriting Retreat in Hot Springs, N.C., where Michael connected with Phil Madeira and Cindy Morgan. After hearing “3-Legged Dog Named Bo,” Cindy urged him to pursue a solo project—planting the seed for what would come next.

In 2021, Michael’s biggest break arrived when Todd Snider asked him to open a show in Charleston, S.C. Snider’s influence—and his unwavering belief in Michael’s voice—became a defining force in Michael’s artistic evolution. Shortly afterward, producer Will Kayuk stepped in to fund and shape Michael’s first full solo record, assembling an incredible ensemble of Nashville musicians known as The 9 Finger Chicken String Band: Will Kimbrough, Chris Donahue, Benjamin Bynum, Court Clement, Steve Brewster and Andy Leftwich.

The result was HoneyBee—a vivid blend of country, bluegrass, roots-rock and folk, filled with simple lyrics, striking images and the unmistakable imprint of Michael’s Randolph County beginnings. It’s a record rooted in where he comes from, shaped by who believed in him, and carried forward by the songs that brought him here.