John Michael Stipe was born January 4th, 1960 in Decatur, Georgia. His father was in the military when he was younger. A little tidbit of info that everybody loves is that Stipe used to write from left to right perfectly until he was 12 when his teachers forced him to stop. The Stipe family traveled everywhere including Texas, Germany, Illinois, and finally ending up in Missouri when Michael was 15. Soon after Michael began his high school career. Michael became very interested in the world of music then. Michael became a punk fan. I don't think it shows to much in his music today but, if it made him what he is now then everyone should listen to punk. Michael graduated from high school in St. Louis in 1978.

Michael moved to Watkinsville, Georgia in 1978 to start college. He was enrolled as an art/painting and drawing major. Michael loved the arts quite a bit. He found them as an outlet to all emotions. He said out of the nightlife and kept to himself. Michael was always shy when he was younger and is still a wee bit to the day.

Stipe frequently visited The Wuxtry, a local recordcompany, where he bought music from a salesman there, Peter Buck.

Stipe today has become and outrageous and quiet. Yes, outrageous and quiet. He has a view on almost everything and he voices his opinion truly. Call him blunt or honest. Either one that's how he is.

Michael has touched millions of people around the world. It's estimated that he has over 100 million fans around the world, over ten million of them in the United States. Michael is my favorite singer/artist/poet in the world. I will always be a fan of Stipe no matter what happens to the band.