The Ohio Valley Conference invites fans at its 2011 Men's & Women's Basketball Championship to attend the "Music City Mingle" event between the afternoon and evening sessions on Wednesday (March 2), Thursday (March 3) and Friday (March 4).
The event will be held at the Doubletree Hotel (315 4th Ave. North), one of two headquarters hotels for this year's championship. The hotel is located less than two blocks from Municipal Auditorium, the site of this years' OVC Championship.
Fans can enjoy live music, drink specials and camaraderie with fellow fans between the women's afternoon session and men's evening session on each of those days. The event will be held in Swanks Martini and Wine Bar inside the Doubletree and runs from 4:30 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Jim "Fish" Michie will provide the musical entertainment on Wednesday, March 2. Michie (pronounced: Mickey) was born in the Mississippi Delta and raised in Merigold, Miss. He started playing in local Delta bands at age 13 after being taught rudimentary blues progressions at Booga Bottom's in Alligator, Miss. He graduated from Delta State University with further piano study at University of Southern Mississippi. In 1981, Fish founded the eclectic Delta band, The Tangents, along with Charlie Jacobs and Duff Dorrough. In 1993, Michie moved to Nashville to play keyboards for Larry Stewart, lead singer for Restless Heart. He now spends time promoting Delta Music Institute, a Recording/Teaching facility at Delta State University, and also accompanies vocal classes at the Nashville Jazz Workshop. Michie has performed or appeared with Vince Gill, T. Graham Brown, Charmaine Neville, Gary Rossington, Leroy Parnell, Fred Knobloch, Fingers Taylor, Bernard Purdie, Bo Diddley, Sam Meyers, Percy Sledge, Willie Foster, Johnny Crocker, Vasti Jackson, Big Mike Griffin, David Bromberg, Buddy Miles and a host of blues artists in Mississippi.
Johnny Barranco will provide the music on Thursday, March 3 and Friday, March 4. Barranco toured, played guitar and provided background vocals with Barry Manilow on the "Barry Manilow II" record better known as the "Mandy" record. He also played in New York City at Trax nightclub on 72nd Street with James Taylor, Steve Stills, Bonnie Bramlett and Jimmy Buffett and sang background studio work for John Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas and Eric Carmen. Barranco was the voice of mainstream America commercials including Juicy Fruit Gum, Gillette 'The Best A Man Can Get', GE 'We Bring Good Things To Life', NESTLES, Diet Pepsi and Coors Light. He co-wrote the theme songs for "Search For Tomorrow" and "The Edge of Night," two of Procter and Gamble's longest running soap operas. Barranco also wrote many songs for blues artists such as Bobby Blue Bland, Johnny Taylor, Little Milton and Keb Mo.
For more information on the OVC Men's & Women's Basketball Championship (March 2-5), including ticket pricing, log onto the Conference's official website at http://www.OVCSports.com.
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