Mitch Ryder

Born in Detroit in 1945 as William Sherille Levise Jr., singer Mitch Ryder established himself in the 1960s on his city's rock and rhythm and blues scene, blending rock'n'roll energy with soul inflections. With his band Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels he released landmark singles such as "Jenny Take a Ride!" and "Devil with a Blue Dress On" and the albums "Take a Ride!" (1966), "Breakout…!!!" (1966) and "Sock It to Me!" (1967), which cemented a style often associated with garage rock and blue‑eyed soul. Ryder then pursued a career under his own name, alternating between groups and solo projects—most notably the album "Detroit" (1971) and later "How I Spent My Vacation" (1978)—and collaborated with John Mellencamp on "Never Kick a Sleeping Dog" (1983). Firmly rooted in an aesthetic mixing rock, soul and rhythm and blues, Mitch Ryder has continued to tour across the United States and Europe, particularly on club and festival stages where he champions a repertoire focused on voice and stage intensity.