The Next Chapter for Mitch Kirkpatrick

Dreams Delayed, Not Denied: Part 2

On July 1st of last year, I wrote an article titled Dreams Delayed, Not Denied: The Spirit of Resilience. It was a story about people refusing to quit on their dreams even when life gave them every reason to do exactly that. This is the next chapter for Mitch Kirkpatrick.

The Fight Behind the Music

One of those people was local country music performer and songwriter Mitch Kirkpatrick.

At the time, the story wasn’t really about music. It was about grit.

Mitch had been through more adversity in a few short years than many people experience in a lifetime. Yet every time life knocked him down, he kept getting back up. He kept writing. Kept performing. Kept moving forward. While others may have stopped and accepted defeat, he simply put his head down and kept trudging along.

Now, some of that work is beginning to pay off.

A New Chapter Begins

Mitch recently signed with a new promotional group, Ace High Events. This isn’t a small step forward.

Ace High Events works with not only up-and-coming entertainers but also established acts and nationally recognized names. Their roster includes tribute acts such as Beatlemania Magic: A Tribute to The Beatles and HOTEL CALIFORNIA – The Original Tribute to The Eagles. They also work alongside well-known acts, including The Kentucky Headhunters and 38 SPECIAL.

That puts Mitch in some pretty good company. Ace High Events is not the only one Mitch is working with. He is also working with Skiddco, owned by multi-Grammy-winning rock and metal producer Skidd Mills. For Mitch, the opportunity to work with Mills is significant. The Nashville producer and multi-Grammy Award winner has built a reputation over more than two decades producing and mixing records for artists including Skillet, Saving Abel, 12 Stones, Egypt Central, and Sick Puppies.

Mitch told me, “He’s made me a thousand times the artist just from what I’ve learned from him.”

That’s high praise for a producer whose career has included work with some of rock’s biggest names. For Kirkpatrick, the experience has been invaluable, helping him grow not only as a musician, but as an artist.

The result has been a steady increase in opportunities.

As his schedule continues to fill, Kirkpatrick is preparing for what could be one of the busiest summers of his career. In reality, that momentum began building much earlier this year.

What People Don’t Always See

Mitch held his Storyteller Session in Logan, Ohio — a night where he did more than simply perform songs. He told the stories behind them. The experiences, moments, and emotions that helped create them. It wasn’t just a performance; it was a chance for people to hear the person behind the music.

The Storyteller Sessions may have also said something about who Mitch is as an artist.

A lot of performers can walk onto a stage and sing songs. Not everyone is willing to open the door and tell people where those songs came from.

Music often means more when people understand the story behind it, and for Mitch, the stories seem to matter just as much as the notes.

For people looking at the schedule and new opportunities, it can be easy to think things suddenly changed overnight.

But that’s usually not how these stories work.

More Than a Performer

Most people see the stage lights, the shows, and the announcements. They don’t always see the late nights, the long drives, the small performances, the writing sessions, and the moments where people continue pushing forward while wondering where the next opportunity might come from.

The public usually sees the result. The work happened long before that.

I’ve known Mitch for a long time. He has always found time to chat with me whenever he could, and I can say this:

He is exactly who you just read about.

What’s Next

I wasn’t able to attend the Storyteller Session, but you can be sure I won’t be missing the fireworks display and show. I did ask him the other day who he wanted to play him in the movie that I am sure will be coming out. His answer, Matthew McConaughey, of course. Alright, alright, alright.

The dates below are only part of Mitch’s schedule, and more are continuing to come together.

If you’re near one of his shows, go see him.

He’s worth it.