Remembering Mike Kirkland

Very few readers probably knew that we had a celebrity musician living in our midst for the past decade.

Except for my own curiosity and tendency to be nosy, I would not have known either.

However, one day several years ago, my interest was piqued when I noticed a house up the street in Shelter Bay had a large wooden sign saying “Kirkland” hanging by the garage door.

Having been born and raised in Kirkland, I wondered why someone would display something like that from their (my) former town.

After an inquiry or two, I learned that my newly discovered neighbor was actually named Mike Kirkland and he was one of the original members of the iconic folk group from the 50s and 60s, The Brothers Four.

Kirkland and three Phi Gamma Delta fraternity brothers at the University of Washington established The Brothers Four and rose to fame in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Coincidentally, I was attending Lake Washington High School then and The Brothers Four performed at an assembly in our gym. They were four handsome young guys, singing and playing guitar, banjo, bass and ukulele to beautiful folk and calypso-like tunes like “Green Leaves of Summer,” “Yellow Bird” and “Greenfields” while a gym full of girls like me were swooning. I never forgot.

After I got to know my neighbor and his partner, Betty Sloan, we gathered for holiday parties or just a visit and cup of coffee. I remembered that the long-past performance I attended was chronicled in my high school yearbook. Back then, we filled our “annuals” with autographs and trite notes like “Have fun this summer!” or “Good luck in college!” I found my old book with a photo of The Brothers Four singing in the gym and asked Mike if he would also add his autograph. A few days later he returned it with a thoughtful witty personal-note that I now cherish.

More than a folk singer, Kirkland was a rock star. In his-later years he remained tall and handsome with a full head of wavy white hair, and his presence claimed attention wherever he went He was classy, smart and gracious.

In his youth he was a high school standout in Marysville, quarterbacking the football team and serving as student body president, He initially attended Whitman. College, but transferred to UW to study pre-med.

As a Brothers Four, he visited the White House and performed for presidents Kennedy and Johnson, went on two USA tours to entertain our troops in Vietnam and was popular internationally.

After getting married and starting a family, Mike left the music business and eventually studied and trained to become a successful substance abuse counselor to youths. He had a particular gift for connecting with troubled teens and helped many get back on the right track.

Mike fought two battles against cancer, ironically of the throat and tongue. Last Aug. 20 he lost the battle at age 82. He had been married twice, and lost a son at an early age. He left behind two daughters, a step-daughter and step-son, six grandchildren and his partner Betty, whom he had known since high school. Plus this saddened fan and neighbor.