Bio

Lyle Ford is an award-winning songwriter who has played his songs on many stages over the course of his career. A fine guitarist, Ford also possesses a warm, richly evocative baritone with spot-on intonation and a voice that can mesmerize an audience. He is an ace performer, believing that the stage is where he ultimately belongs. His songs ring with truth, honesty, and the expert craftsmanship that characterize someone who has spent a lifetime holding firm to his artistic vision and to perfecting his craft. His lyrics paint images that evoke a universal longing in his listeners and Ford’s compositional skills are unsurpassed. Marty Hughley, chief national music critic for the Portland, Oregon Oregonian writes “Being up-to-the-minute is a short-lived virtue, if a virtue at all, and Ford seems the type who knows this so instinctively that he’s never given it a moment’s thought. Instead, he’s spent his time working with an earlier pop template, the sort of thoughtful singer/songwriter approach pioneered 30 years ago by James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, and Jackson Browne. The Vancouver singer/guitarist doesn’t try to break new ground within this form; rather, he provides always-welcome evidence of its worth, crafting solidly heart-affirming songs and delivering them with an evident commitment to quality…Ford may not seem to be expending a lot of energy, but his precise fingerpicking and warm, richly emotive vocal phrasing are the end result of considerable skills meticulously applied”. Although Hughley’s comments are accurate in the main and much appreciated by Lyle, his reference to working with “an earlier pop template”, is only partially true; besides the aforementioned elements of Folk and Pop, Ford also manages to push boundaries, using elements of Jazz, Rock, and even Reggae, amongst other elements of the musical landscape. Ford has won numerous awards from the Portland Songwriters Association for his songs and performances and placed in the top 1% in a recent Billboard Song Contest (the only national contest Lyle has entered) with his song “Broken Hearts”. He also won the Portland Songwriters Association Masters Award 2 consecutive Years, the only 2 years that Ford qualified for that award, as he was thereafter asked to judge contests rather than be a participant. Ford’s CD “Lyle Stephen Ford” remained on the Local’s Only chart, outselling national acts Pearl Jam, Pink Martini, and all other Northwest artists for ten weeks, staying in the number one spot for 3 weeks. It’s time now to share his songs with other artists, film producers, and other avenues of mutual benefit. Lyle chose family over the road and has seldom played outside of Portland, Oregon, where he has made a living as a musician.