After fastening the gold buttons of his dress blues in October 2020, Col. Mike Corrado plunged his fingers into the snow-white gloves that he and other United States Marines reserved for formal occasions. After nearly three decades of active military service — which included uprooting his family every two to three years to relocate and deployments to Iraq, South America, Cuba, and Africa — he was dressed and ready for his retirement ceremony.
The years of sweltering heat and biting cold, the seemingly endless days of training, the hollow pit of homesickness in his stomach, and through every challenge he had endured, the music resonating inside him was never silenced. He’d pressed pause on his music career to serve his country, so his retirement meant the song lyrics scratched across scraps of paper and the tunes he had hummed in the barracks could now take their rightful place in the center stage of Corrado’s life.
Although he started playing the drums, he quickly switched to guitar after living in the barracks of The Citadel. In 1995, just before his first deployment, he flew to Anaheim, California, where he recorded his first album. When the album was released, he was aboard the USS Ashland Navy ship. After this deployment ended, Corrado left active duty to pursue music as a full-time career, playing 250 shows per year and recording a full-length CD. But his music career came to a halt when he was called to active duty again following the attacks of Sept. 11.
An email from a young Marine serving in Afghanistan, who had written home to his dad, touched Corrado so deeply that he penned the words to the song “On My Watch Tonight,” which has since become an anthem for military families across the nation.
Because of his extensive history with the armed services, Corrado carries a heavy burden for those serving in active military, veterans, first responders, and anyone battling post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injuries. Songs such as “Lucky One,” “Still in the Fight,” “Start Saving Me,” and many others give words to the thoughts and feelings experienced by those who risk their lives for others daily.
Based on statistics gathered by online streaming services, his songs have now been viewed or listened to over 1 million times. Corrado has also been featured on major television networks such as Great American Country, CMT, CMT Pure, The Nashville Network, the Armed Forces Network, and many others. Rolling Stone magazine shared his story in 2008, and he has opened for artists such as the Black Eyed Peas, Bon Jovi, and Travis Tritt.
In 2013, he was chosen to represent the Marine Corps at the concert event called “Academy of Country Music Presents: An All-Star Salute to the Troops,” where he performed “Call A Marine” alongside Toby Keith on national television. Later that summer, he joined Keith at the amphitheater in St. Louis for a second performance, and in 2014, Taylor Guitars featured him in their “Step Forward: Music is Waiting” campaign.
When Corrado met Keith’s manager, T.K. Kimbrell, he told Corrado that if he planned to be in the music business, he must live near Nashville.
“That stuck with me for the next several years, and once I finally retired, I knew where I needed to go,” Corrado said. “I wanted to get as close to Music City as I could.”
In 2023, Mike, his wife, Kate — who spent 20 years in the United States Air Force Reserve — and their two children purchased a “little slice of heaven” here in Shelbyville that they lovingly named “Harmony Hill.”
“The name draws upon the harmony in people coming together and, of course, the harmony in music. It may seem strange that a retired colonel from the Marine Corps is a singer, songwriter, producer, recording artist, and now a studio owner. But music is something I have done my entire life.”
Corrado has two record labels: Harmony Hill Entertainment and AHERO Records.
“AHERO Records solely relies on donation support and is specifically for veterans and first responder artists, and Harmony Hill Entertainment is our home base and studio for artists we work with, as well as helping singer-songwriters and bands with their recording needs,” Corrado said.
USA Today recently interviewed Corrado about AHERO Records, highlighting its role in giving a voice to veterans.
“Music is good medicine,” Corrado said. “I’ve seen it play out on deployments, on the battlefield, and while working with various veteran service organizations. Getting to help veterans with their music careers is my way of continuing to serve those who gave so much.” GN
