Bob Abrahamian 00:00
Okay, you are tuned to WHPK 88.5 FM in Chicago. You’re now listening to the Sitting in the Park show. I have an interview today with a member of a North Side group called the Fugitives. So my usual theme song wasn’t really appropriate for today—but this should be an interesting interview, so stay tuned. Would you like to introduce yourself?
Michael Sharkey 00:28
Yes, my name is Michael Sharkey. I’m from the Near North Side of Chicago.
Bob Abrahamian 00:36
Were you born in Chicago?
Michael Sharkey 00:39
Yes, I was.
Bob Abrahamian 00:41
So where did you live first? Like, what street?
Michael Sharkey 00:50
My address was 1527 North Mohawk—that’s near North Avenue. Almost to Lincoln Park. And I was born and raised on that block.
Bob Abrahamian 01:15
And how did you first get involved with music?
Michael Sharkey 01:17
Well, I was influenced by my brother. He became a musician at an early age.
Bob Abrahamian 01:27
Were you ever singing in church before then?
Michael Sharkey 01:31
Yes—we were a church-oriented family.
Bob Abrahamian 01:36
You had a story about how your brother got involved with music, right?
Michael Sharkey 01:42
Yes. He got interested in guitar. On our block, there was an older man—he had to be around 75 or maybe almost 80—who played guitar. He played Delta Blues. My dad was interested in learning blues, too—you know, the older guys loved blues. The man’s name was Pops, and he would demonstrate some things to my father. One day my brother saw them sitting out front of the house—Pops would be playing Delta Blues, and he'd draw a little crowd. My brother walked over and said, “Pops, can you teach me?”
Bob Abrahamian 02:50
Did your dad ever learn how to play?
Michael Sharkey 02:53
Yeah, he did. I’ll never forget the first blues song he played—the progression and the way he played it.
Bob Abrahamian 03:01
So one day your brother—your oldest brother—saw them playing and got excited about it. What was his name?
Michael Sharkey 03:15
His name is Eugene.
Bob Abrahamian 03:15
Eugene. Okay. So how did he start playing after that? Did he have an instrument?
Michael Sharkey 03:23
Well, my father actually had a guitar and let Eugene use it since he was showing interest. He would go down the block and get lessons from Pops.
Bob Abrahamian 03:37
So did he actually become good at playing Delta Blues?
Michael Sharkey 03:43
Yes. To this very day, he plays like B.B. [King]. He loves the blues. He wasn’t really into jazz, but he could play R&B and other styles.
Bob Abrahamian 03:56
So, was the Fugitives the first group that you were all in?
Michael Sharkey 04:06
Yes, it was the first group. My brother, after he got a bit better, connected with a guy across the street—Roger Sameer. Roger could play drums, a little bass, and a bit of guitar. He wanted Eugene to help school him a little. So they got together and started learning some cover songs.
Bob Abrahamian 04:39
So it started as just two guys?
Michael Sharkey 04:44
Yeah, just the two of them. They didn’t even have a name yet. I guess they thought they were getting good, so they decided to start a band and come up with a name.
Bob Abrahamian 05:03
How old was your brother back then?
Michael Sharkey 05:05
Let’s see—he’s five years older than me, so he had to be about nine years old.
Bob Abrahamian 05:14
At nine years old, they were starting a band? That’s cool. Did they bring in anyone else at that time?
Michael Sharkey 05:25
Not at that time. It was just the two of them. Later, more guys came along.
Bob Abrahamian 05:35
So when it was just the two of them, was one playing guitar and the other on drums?
Michael Sharkey 05:38
Yeah, something like that.
Bob Abrahamian 05:42
Did they ever perform anywhere?
Michael Sharkey 05:45
No, they didn’t perform back then.
Bob Abrahamian 05:49
So how did the group expand? Who joined next?
Michael Sharkey 05:54
I was the next person to join. I was interested in drums.
Bob Abrahamian 06:02
So you were the third member. How old were you when you joined?
Michael Sharkey 06:08
I was about four.
Bob Abrahamian 06:11
Four? You must’ve been excited. But you were playing drums—did you have a drum set?
Michael Sharkey 06:24
Nope. Here's how that happened—my mom would wash clothes and use those clothespins to hang them out on the line. So I’d grab a couple of clothespins from the drawer and just start beating on stuff. But I had rhythm—I wasn’t just banging.
Bob Abrahamian 07:00
Were you beating on, like, a bucket or something?
Michael Sharkey 07:03
I’d beat on anything—tables, chairs. I might’ve even hit someone’s head (laughs). I think they got tired of me beating on the furniture!
Bob Abrahamian 07:23
So you were in the band, just hitting things with clothespins?
Michael Sharkey 07:30
Yeah, but it had a rhythm to it!
Bob Abrahamian 07:33
And your brother was playing your dad’s guitar. Did the other guy—Roger—have instruments?
Michael Sharkey 07:42
Yeah, he was pretty versatile. He had some instruments at home.
Bob Abrahamian 07:47
So how did the group evolve after that? Did you ever get a real drum set?
Michael Sharkey 07:54
Yeah. That’s another story. When my father saw I had some talent, he decided to test me a bit. He bought me a snare drum and one cymbal. That was it. No bass drum—I’d stomp my foot to keep the beat!
Bob Abrahamian 08:22
So the band was becoming more serious—getting real instruments. What kinds of songs were you playing back then?
Michael Sharkey 08:34
We played songs by The Beatles and also "Wipe Out."
Bob Abrahamian 08:41
I know that song. I can’t think of who did it though.
Michael Sharkey 08:48
It was a big hit at the time. We played it a lot.
Bob Abrahamian 08:51
Did you play any R&B music?
Michael Sharkey 08:55
Somewhat. We played a little blues too—because that was our original foundation. Then a couple of rock songs.
Bob Abrahamian 09:13
So were you just practicing in someone’s basement?
Michael Sharkey 09:17
Yeah, we practiced in my father’s basement.
Bob Abrahamian 09:21
When did you start doing actual shows? Do you remember your first one?
Michael Sharkey 09:27
Our first show had to be at Navy Pier. There was an event going on with all kinds of rock bands. My father got us the gig.
Bob Abrahamian 09:51
Do you remember how old you were when you played at Navy Pier?
Michael Sharkey 09:56
About five.
Bob Abrahamian 09:58
And you played rock music?
Michael Sharkey 10:01
Yeah, we played "Wipe Out" and other songs. It’s been so long I can’t remember all of them, but it was a lot of that flower-power kind of music.
Bob Abrahamian 10:14
Were you the only kiddie group there?
Michael Sharkey 10:18
Yeah, we were.
Bob Abrahamian 10:23
How did people respond to that?
Michael Sharkey 10:26
We got a great response.
Bob Abrahamian 10:31
And you still didn’t have a bass drum kick?
Michael Sharkey 10:34
Well, what happened was when we got ready to perform, some of the bands let us use their equipment. They had a double bass drum. I don't know how, but I played it—even though I had never used one before.
Bob Abrahamian 10:54
Yeah, I tried to play one once and couldn’t do it.
Michael Sharkey 10:58
Yeah, I had never played one either before that.
Bob Abrahamian 11:01
You must’ve been excited.
Michael Sharkey 11:04
Oh, I was very excited.
Bob Abrahamian 11:06
So I know you ended up cutting a few records. Your first record was called Love Come Down. I want to play the music because we’ve been talking for a while.
Michael Sharkey 11:12
Yeah, yeah.
Bob Abrahamian 11:14
Then we can get into the story of what happened after that show. Okay, so this next song is by The Fugitives, and it’s called Love Come Down.
[music playing]
Bob Abrahamian 15:39
Okay, you are tuned to WHPK 88.5 FM in Chicago. That was just The Fugitives with Love Come Down. Sorry, having some microphone problems right now—hopefully I can get it fixed. So right now, we’re down to one mic.
How old were you when that record came out?
Michael Sharkey 15:39
I was nine years old.
Bob Abrahamian 15:43
So that was four years after you did the Navy Pier show?
Michael Sharkey 15:46
Yes.
Bob Abrahamian 15:48
Did the lineup change? Originally it was just three of you. Can you walk me through the lineup changes after that?
Michael Sharkey 15:57
After the Navy Pier show, a lot of kids from the West Side wanted to join the group. So we brought in other young guys who were interested. My father gave everyone a chance—we had as many as seven guitar players at one point. No joke.
Some of them came and went. During that time, my brother and I were playing in little clubs too.
Michael Sharkey 15:57
After the Navy Pier situation, a lot of people from the West Side wanted to join the group. We had other young men who were interested. And my father—he was the kind of guy who gave everybody a chance. At one point, we had about seven guitar players. No joke! They came and joined the group, and then eventually some of them left.
During that time, my brother and I were also playing in little clubs. We were still really young.
Bob Abrahamian 16:42
You were only, like, six years old. Do you remember the clubs you were playing at back then?
Michael Sharkey 16:50
I don’t remember the names of those early clubs. The more well-known ones came later. But the early spots were little places on California and Lake Street.
Bob Abrahamian 17:04
Like small spaces?
Michael Sharkey 17:06
Yeah. Howlin’ Wolf had one right on California and Lake. There was another one further east that we played too. We would switch between them.
But Howlin’ Wolf kicked us out. He was like, “They’re too young. Get those kids out of here!” He was actually like that—a mean guy.
Bob Abrahamian 17:35
So when you were five years old, were you staying up really late for the club shows?
Michael Sharkey 17:42
No, we would go home by around 10:30. We mostly did early events—kind of like matinee shows.
Bob Abrahamian 17:52
At that time, you were playing more R&B music? Since these were Black clubs?
Michael Sharkey 17:56
Right. They just gave us a chance to see what kind of response we’d get from the audience.
Bob Abrahamian 18:06
Do you remember any of the songs you played?
Michael Sharkey 18:12
Yeah, one of them was Baby, You Don’t Have to Go by Jimmy Reed. I was little, but I’d sing the blues, play a little guitar. People loved it.
Bob Abrahamian 18:36
So when you were playing the clubs, was it still the original three members?
Michael Sharkey 18:42
Yes, the original three of us. We had people coming and going, trying to play with us, but the core remained the same for a while.
Bob Abrahamian 18:51
Did the lineup ever stabilize into a specific set of members?
Michael Sharkey 19:00
Yes. Eddie Manning joined next, making us four. He played bass, and that really filled out the band—two guitars and a bass player.
Bob Abrahamian 19:14
And then what?
Michael Sharkey 19:16
Later, a guy came to my father and said there was a young kid in Cabrini-Green who could really sing and also played some music. My father was interested, so the guy—his name was Clarence—brought him over. He auditioned and sang great. He became our lead singer.
Bob Abrahamian 20:18
What was his name?
Michael Sharkey 20:18
Archie Brooks.
Bob Abrahamian 20:23
So once he joined, would you consider that your first “real” lineup?
Michael Sharkey 20:33
Yes. That lineup was: Archie on guitar and vocals, Eddie on bass, Eugene (my brother) on lead guitar, and me on drums. Roger had left by that point.
Bob Abrahamian 20:53
So two guitars and one bass. Then you ended up recording a record. How did that happen? How did you get hooked up with a label?
Michael Sharkey 21:06
We were playing at a club—I can’t remember the name—but we met McKee Fitzhugh from WVON. He was interested in our band. We also met Sandy Wilburn—my father talked with him. He was starting a new label and looking for talent. Since we were so young, that made us more interesting. So he decided to record us.
Bob Abrahamian 21:55
I think you were the first act on his label, right?
Michael Sharkey 22:03
Yeah. He had worked with McKinley Mitchell and the Hi-Fi’s before that.
Bob Abrahamian 22:07
Do you remember what year that first record was recorded?
Michael Sharkey 22:14
Somewhere between 1969 and 1970, I think.
Bob Abrahamian 22:19
Do you remember what studio it was recorded in?
Michael Sharkey 22:24
I believe it was Apex Studios.
Bob Abrahamian 22:34
That was the one run by Sonny Sawyer, I think.
Michael Sharkey 22:43
That might be right.
Bob Abrahamian 22:43
Did you record everything in one day—both sides?
Michael Sharkey 22:49
Yeah, we did. It was probably because of the budget, or just how things were done back then. I was the youngest in the group, so I didn’t fully understand everything. But we rehearsed a lot at home to make sure everything was tight before going into the studio. We didn’t want to make too many mistakes. We had a great arranger too.
Bob Abrahamian 23:24
Yeah, I noticed there are strings on the record.
Michael Sharkey 23:26
That was Mark Davis. He later went to Motown.
Bob Abrahamian 23:30
Right, he worked with Norman Whitfield—produced Car Wash, Which Way Is Up, and more.
Bob Abrahamian 23:52
He was definitely a talented guy. One thing that’s interesting about the record is there’s a female lead singer on at least one side. What’s the story there?
Michael Sharkey 24:05
That’s when the group broadened a bit more. Archie had a family group with his three sisters and his father, who was a guitar player. They sang in church, and Archie started telling my father about his sisters. So eventually, they joined the group.
Bob Abrahamian 24:38
So they were actually official members of The Fugitives?
Michael Sharkey 24:41
Yeah, they were members.
Bob Abrahamian 24:45
What was the name of the sister singing on the record?
Michael Sharkey 24:48
Scotty. Her real name was Betty—Betty Jean Scott.
Bob Abrahamian 24:55
And she later had her own group, right?
Michael Sharkey 24:57
Yes. Betty Scott and The Delvettes.
Bob Abrahamian 25:01
How long had she been in the group before that recording?
Michael Sharkey 25:13
I'd say maybe four years total, including the time with Archie. When the band eventually broke up, I was around 12 or 13.
Bob Abrahamian 25:34
And who’s singing lead on the B-side, Good Lovin’ (If You Can Get It)?
Michael Sharkey 25:37
That’s also Betty—Scotty.
Bob Abrahamian 25:41
So she sings both sides. Did the record get any play in Chicago?
Michael Sharkey 25:46
That side? I don’t think so. But Love Come Down did.
Bob Abrahamian 25:55
So did you start doing more shows and gaining popularity after that?
Michael Sharkey 26:04
Yeah, we did. We started traveling more. Wherever the record went, we went.
Bob Abrahamian 26:15
Did you mostly travel within the city, or did you leave Chicago too?
Michael Sharkey 26:24
We played all over Illinois—especially the western suburbs like Aurora. We also went to Wisconsin.
Bob Abrahamian 26:41
Were the venues mostly Black clubs?
Michael Sharkey 26:45
Some were mixed. We also played banquets and private events—people hired us even though we were all really young.
Bob Abrahamian 27:02
So you were really young—did you miss any school? Were you rehearsing after school and doing shows?
Michael Sharkey 27:14
We all went to school. I went to George Manierre on Hudson and Cleveland and graduated from eighth grade there. My brother went to the same school.
But when things got busier, I was the only one not in private school. So they had to work around my schedule.
Bob Abrahamian 27:58
So you had the more rigid school schedule.
Michael Sharkey 27:59
Yeah.
Bob Abrahamian 28:00
Eventually, you recorded a second record, Rich Man, Poor Man. I’m going to play that now, and then we’ll talk about what happened with that recording.
[music playing: “Rich Man, Poor Man” by The Fugitives]
Bob Abrahamian 30:43
Okay, you’re tuned to WHPK 88.5 FM in Chicago. You’re listening to Sitting in the Park. Today is a special show—I'm interviewing a member of the Chicago group The Fugitives. That was their second record, Rich Man, Poor Man. Who’s singing lead on that?
Michael Sharkey 31:09
Archie Brooks.
Bob Abrahamian 31:09
So who was singing lead on that record?
Michael Sharkey 31:09
Archie Brooks.
Bob Abrahamian 31:13
Was he still pretty young when he recorded that?
Michael Sharkey 31:18
Yeah—if I was nine, he had to be around 14.
Bob Abrahamian 31:22
One thing I noticed is that the style changed a lot, especially on the other side of the record. It’s a lot funkier—has kind of a James Brown vibe. How did the group’s sound evolve?
Michael Sharkey 31:41
Archie was really a rhythm man. He loved jazz—he was a great guy, and a big influence on me. But he also loved James Brown. I think that funk direction was his choice, and at the time, it was all about what you felt. It was like jazz in a way—improvised and free.
Bob Abrahamian 32:21
So was Archie just singing, or did he play an instrument too?
Michael Sharkey 32:27
He played drums, a little bass, and some guitar. I’m not sure about keyboards—we didn’t get into that until later. But yeah, he was definitely versatile.
Bob Abrahamian 32:40
A lot of groups back then had dedicated singers who did choreography. Did you all do anything like that? I imagine it was tough since you were also playing instruments.
Michael Sharkey 32:59
That’s a good story. The rhythm and dancing came in later. But when the girls were in the group, they had a two-step routine—simple moves, like waving their arms. Archie, though—he was kind of random. He did whatever he could do on stage.
Bob Abrahamian 33:26
Was he a good dancer?
Michael Sharkey 33:31
(Laughs) Archie, don’t be mad—I can’t remember!
Bob Abrahamian 33:39
Was it the same lineup on that second record as the first one?
Michael Sharkey 33:45
Yes, it was the same people—except there were no girls singing on that one.
Bob Abrahamian 33:48
And how long after the first record did you record the second?
Michael Sharkey 33:57
Actually, we recorded it right after. It was just released later.
Bob Abrahamian 34:04
So you recorded both records’ tracks in the same session?
Michael Sharkey 34:04
Yes, all four songs. One session.
Bob Abrahamian 34:10
What’s interesting about that second record is that it’s really rare now. You don’t find it in Chicago—maybe it didn’t get distributed well?
Michael Sharkey 34:24
I don’t know what happened. It’s a nice record. A cool record. But yeah, I’m not sure what went wrong.
Bob Abrahamian 34:33
So you said the group eventually disbanded—how long did that lineup stay together?
Michael Sharkey 34:43
I’d say until about 1972 or 1973. That’s when we started breaking up.
Bob Abrahamian 34:58
In another interview, I heard Archie joined another group?
Michael Sharkey 35:06
Yeah, he did. Something must’ve happened, and the guys decided to leave. I was really young, so I didn’t understand all the details.
Bob Abrahamian 35:21
Your brother—Eugene—didn’t want to leave, right?
Michael Sharkey 35:28
No, he was the founder of the group. He wasn’t going anywhere. But the other singers and musicians, like Henry Perkins—he played rhythm guitar—they left. In the end, it was just Eugene and me left.
Bob Abrahamian 36:00
Did you keep doing music after that?
Michael Sharkey 36:04
Yes. We never stopped. My father told us, “Take your little brother.” He was about a year younger than me and didn’t really know how to play anything, but I was always pounding music into his head. He said he wanted to play keyboard—so we taught him. I already knew piano a bit from age four.
We still needed a drummer though, so I kept playing drums. My brother taught him guitar, and I taught him bass. He was undecided—piano or bass. But eventually we got him trained up, and honestly, he became a really good musician. He must’ve had it in him, because he learned fast.
Bob Abrahamian 37:56
So your whole family was involved?
Michael Sharkey 38:03
Yeah, it became a family band.
Bob Abrahamian 38:05
Did you keep the name The Fugitives?
Michael Sharkey 38:11
No, by then we had become The Fabulous Fugitives.
Bob Abrahamian 38:20
I know The Fabulous Fugitives did another recording, which I’m going to play in a little bit. Did the group change more before that record?
Michael Sharkey 38:23
Yeah. While we were training my younger brother, music was changing too. Larry Graham had left Sly [and the Family Stone], and I was really into their sound. Everyone was buying their records, so we followed that style—it was what the audience wanted. Funk, psychedelic, groove-heavy stuff.
Bob Abrahamian 39:04
Yeah, I’m going to play the record now so people can hear. It’s got that psychedelic, conscious soul vibe—like Ball of Confusion or something.
What was the A-side of that record?
Michael Sharkey 39:20
What the World Needs.
Bob Abrahamian 39:22
Alright—this is The Fabulous Fugitives with What the World Needs.
[music playing]

Bob Abrahamian 42:20
Okay, you’re tuned to WHPK 88.5 FM in Chicago. This is the Sitting in the Park show. If you’re just tuning in, I’m doing an interview with Michael Sharkey, a member of the Chicago group The Fugitives. That record we just played was The Fabulous Fugitives with What the World Needs.
It was not only funky—it had that conscious, political vibe like Ball of Confusion. So how many years after the first record was that one recorded?
Michael Sharkey 43:01
I’d say about six years later.
Bob Abrahamian 43:06
You mentioned earlier the group had disbanded, leaving you and your older brother. Then you brought in your younger brother?
Michael Sharkey 43:16
Yes, he came in. We trained him—he really developed into a great bass player. Sadly, he passed away later on.
Bob Abrahamian 43:37
I’m really sorry to hear that. Did anyone else join the group around that time?
Michael Sharkey 43:45
Yeah, during that transition, my sisters joined the band. They did background vocals. My youngest sister could play bongos. We just added as many family members as we could.
Bob Abrahamian 44:12
But on that record, it sounds like it’s mostly four instrumentalists?
Michael Sharkey 44:18
Actually, just three main instruments. My father brought in some other musicians, which upset me a bit—they hadn’t rehearsed with us. I’m not a perfectionist, but I like things tight. They did a good job, but I had some different ideas in mind.
Bob Abrahamian 44:53
Right—musicians need chemistry, not just talent.
Michael Sharkey 45:00
Exactly.
Bob Abrahamian 45:02
One thing I always wondered—how did a Chicago group end up releasing a record on a Memphis label? The label was called Jace, right?
Michael Sharkey 45:24
Yeah. I met a guy named Mr. Wooten—he was running an ad in a Chicago paper. A friend told me about it, and we went from there.
Bob Abrahamian 45:44
So you drove down to Memphis?
Michael Sharkey 45:47
Yeah, kind of a joyride.
Bob Abrahamian 45:51
Do you remember what year that was recorded?
Michael Sharkey 45:53
1975.
Bob Abrahamian 45:57
That guy, Style Wooten, put out a lot of gospel records. Was yours one of the only secular ones?
Michael Sharkey 46:08
I’m not really sure, but he worked with London Records too. There’s a bio on him online.
Bob Abrahamian 46:22
So what was the deal—was he just looking for material?
Michael Sharkey 46:36
I think it was more like a private studio—he probably made a little money on the side. Like today, when people own studios and record whoever calls them.
Bob Abrahamian 47:00
Did you pay for studio time?
Michael Sharkey 47:02
Yes, we did. And because it was expensive, we had to record everything in one take.
Bob Abrahamian 47:17
I didn’t hear any girls on the record.
Michael Sharkey 47:19
On What the World Needs, you can hear a little background—that’s my sisters.
Bob Abrahamian 47:24
Can you list everyone who played on that record?
Michael Sharkey 47:29
Sure. Eugene Sharkey (my brother, the founder), Dorothy and Deborah (my sisters), another Eugene—Eugene Lee, who played flute and sax. Gregory (my youngest brother) played bass. And me—Michael—on drums.
Bob Abrahamian 48:14
That was recorded in 1975?
Michael Sharkey 48:21
Yes.
Bob Abrahamian 48:23
How long had that lineup been together?
Michael Sharkey 48:35
That version started after the others left—around 1972.
Bob Abrahamian 48:43
Did you have a van to get to Memphis?
Michael Sharkey 48:47
We had three vans.
Bob Abrahamian 48:52
Did you play a lot of clubs in Chicago with that lineup?
Michael Sharkey 48:52
Yeah, we did. One spot was Dean Bats on Ontario—a popular club. The Gap Band would hang out there sometimes. We did some cover songs there.
Bob Abrahamian 49:22
Did you play any South Side clubs?
Michael Sharkey 49:24
With the earlier group, yes. We also played lots of hotels and banquets.
After the lineup change, we started traveling more—Cincinnati, Minnesota, all over.
Bob Abrahamian 50:03
With the newer version of the group, what types of places did you play?
Michael Sharkey 50:12
Clubs, weddings, private events—we were everywhere.
Bob Abrahamian 50:27
Did you have a manager?
Michael Sharkey 50:31
My brother and my father managed the group.
Bob Abrahamian 50:41
Who wrote the songs? Who wrote Love Come Down?
Michael Sharkey 50:53
Sandy Wilburn and Eugene Sharkey Sr.—my dad.
Bob Abrahamian 50:57
And Rich Man, Poor Man?
Michael Sharkey 51:00
That was also Sandy Wilburn.
Bob Abrahamian 51:10
And the Fabulous Fugitives songs?
Michael Sharkey 51:10
I wrote those.
Bob Abrahamian 51:14
Did that record get airplay in Memphis?
Michael Sharkey 51:24
I think so. Style Wooten was pretty influential. But back then, if you didn’t know the business, you were in trouble. We traveled with the record, but exposure was limited.
Bob Abrahamian 52:13
How long did the group stay together after that?
Michael Sharkey 52:13
Until 1983.
Bob Abrahamian 52:15
And you kept doing shows?
Michael Sharkey 52:24
Yeah, we always stayed active. After that, it was just family.
Bob Abrahamian 52:29
Did you ever record more material that wasn’t released?
Michael Sharkey 52:34
A lot. From the earlier group too.
Bob Abrahamian 52:38
Do you have tapes?
Michael Sharkey 52:59
I don’t have anything now. That’s the problem—you make records, and later you can’t even find your own.
Bob Abrahamian 53:09
Or they weren’t stored properly...
Michael Sharkey 53:13
Exactly. A lost generation.
Bob Abrahamian 53:15
So the group ended in ’83—was it just a natural split?
Michael Sharkey 53:30
Yeah. People started losing interest. If music isn’t something you really love, it becomes like a job you want to quit. My younger brother wanted to go in a different direction. But my older brother—he never wanted to stop. It was his dream. I had to step back eventually—I had a family, responsibilities. I needed money.
Bob Abrahamian 54:36
Did you keep doing music on the side?
Michael Sharkey 54:39
Always. Gospel, jazz—whatever people hired me for. I did club gigs and church work too.
Bob Abrahamian 55:02
Did you do any session work?
Michael Sharkey 55:12
Yeah—quartets like Victory Travelers and other local gospel groups.
Bob Abrahamian 55:26
And you’re still doing music today?
Michael Sharkey 55:39
I never quit. I’ve got a CD here of newer material—it’s from the New Jack Swing era.
Bob Abrahamian 55:44
What’s the track?
Michael Sharkey 55:49
How You Like Me Now—just under my name, Michael Sharkey.
Bob Abrahamian 55:51
Alright, let’s play it.
[music playing: “How You Like Me Now”]
Bob Abrahamian 58:50
Okay, you’re tuned to WHPK 88.5 FM in Chicago. That track was a solo cut by Michael Sharkey. When was it recorded?
Michael Sharkey 1:01:49
1991.
Bob Abrahamian 1:01:50
You played everything?
Michael Sharkey 1:01:53
Everything—even the rap.
Bob Abrahamian 1:01:56
Did you record it at home?
Michael Sharkey 1:01:59
No, in a studio on the South Side—with a friend.
Bob Abrahamian 1:02:06
And there was a story about it being connected to a movie?
Michael Sharkey 1:02:06
Yeah, Darrell Roberts, a writer and film producer, wanted to try it in a project. Jesse from All My Children starred in it. It played in a theater downtown—but in the end, they used a different song.
Bob Abrahamian 1:03:11
But they did commission you to write it?
Michael Sharkey 1:03:19
Yes. A buddy of mine recommended me, and I gave it a shot.
Bob Abrahamian 1:03:24
Another cool thing—the Fabulous Fugitives record got reissued, right?
Michael Sharkey 1:03:38
Yeah, and my son reminded me—I have a tape of GC that I played.
Bob Abrahamian 1:03:51
The track we just played—was it ever released?
Michael Sharkey 1:03:57
Just on cassette. That’s how GCI played it.
Bob Abrahamian 1:04:42
And now your vinyl is popular with collectors—especially young folks into funk. It was reissued, but the original is hard to find.
Michael Sharkey 1:04:44
Yeah—Empty Waves reissued it.
Bob Abrahamian 1:04:56
Well, thanks so much for coming down and sharing your story—it’s a great one. Any last words for the listeners?
Michael Sharkey 1:04:56
Yes—I’m grateful to be here and to share my music. I’m still halfway a spring chicken! Music is for everyone, no matter your age. I still want to give the people something they’ll enjoy. I feel like now, I’ve grown in my skills and can give even more.
Bob Abrahamian 1:05:57
So people should keep an eye out for your music.
Michael Sharkey 1:06:00
Definitely.
Bob Abrahamian 1:06:05
Thanks again, Michael. The last record I’m going to play is the B-side of The Fabulous Fugitives release—this one is called You Made Me Cry.
[music playing: “You Made Me Cry”]