Michael Stanley Gee, known professionally as Michael Stanley, was born on March 25, 1948, in Cleveland, Ohio. He began his musical career while attending Hiram College, releasing the album Smooth As Raw Silk with the band Silk in 1969. After graduating, he released his first solo album, Michael Stanley, in 1973 on Tumbleweed Records. In 1974, Michael Stanley formed the Michael Stanley Band (MSB), which gained popularity in Cleveland and the American Midwest during the 1970s and 1980s. The band achieved national success with hits like "He Can't Love You" from the 1980 album Heartland, which reached number 33 on Billboard's Top 40 chart, and "In the Heartland", which peaked at number 6 on Billboard’s Top Tracks chart in 1982. The band dissolved in 1987. Following the breakup, Michael Stanley continued his musical career with various bands and released numerous albums, including Stagepass (1991), Live In Tangiers: The Acoustic Shows (1998), and The Solo Years 1995-2014 (2014). He also had a notable broadcasting career as an afternoon drive disc jockey for WNCX in Cleveland. Michael Stanley was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2017 and passed away on March 5, 2021, after battling lung cancer. His contributions to music and broadcasting were recognized posthumously when the City of Cleveland renamed a section of Huron Avenue as Michael Stanley Way in 2019.
