Michael Travelletti, or “Oklahoma Mike,” as he calls himself, was a chemical/biological, and radiological defense specialist in the Army. He later became a welder, then a boilermaker, he went back to school at Oklahoma State University to become a mechanical engineer. He subsequently became the co-owner of the local multi-millionaire dollar fabrication company, Fabwell. And, last but not least, Mike is an accomplished musician/singer/songwriter.
Travelletti’s paternal great-grandfather immigrated to Switzerland from Northern Italy, and his grandfather, Bruno Travelletti, then emigrated from Switzerland to the U.S., arriving at Ellis Island in 1922.
Mike’s father moved the family from Chicago to Los Angeles while Mike was still an infant. The City of Angels was not the ideal environment for young Michael, and he consequently “hung out’ with the wrong crowd and would at times find himself in a bit of trouble. His mother divorced, then remarried, and Mike’s stepfather moved the family to Tahlequah, Oklahoma when Mike was approximately 14.
“My mom and stepfather packed us all up and took us to Tahlequah, Oklahoma. I will tell you, the two things that saved me were music and Oklahoma.”
His stepfather obtained a job in Bartlesville and moved the family there.
“All the while though, music was always my thing, my two loves growing up were music and engineering,” said Mike. “I like mechanical stuff, like motorcycles and old cars and stuff like that. Those kept me busy, but I got away from that bad crowd in Los Angeles, and I never, ever have had a problem since.”
Michael had a love of music since he was a young boy. His parents bought him a $31 Sears Silvertone guitar in 1971. “I started playing music at a young age, when I got into high school I played a lot of small gigs. Then I went into the military, and I had a band while I was in the military. At the time it was rock and roll, big time, but at the same time I had this love and affection for old-style country music.”
Mike is somewhat of an expert on country music and spoke about some misconceptions about Western Swing. “You hear that Bob Wills was considered the king of Western Swing, right? That’s not really true. Have you ever heard of Spade Cooley? He was truly the king of Western Swing.” A brief historical note about Spade Cooley, he also served as a movie body double for Roy Rogers.
Travelletti described his road to becoming a professional musician. “I got out of the military and ended up here. I played professionally, some small-time stuff when I was younger. Sixteen years ago, I founded a music jamboree called the Elgin Jamboree in Elgin, Kansas. I invited all the local musicians, and it really got bigger and bigger. Within a year or two, people would come to the festival and say: ‘Hey, we want you to play this or come to that.’
Mike said that Jimmie Rodgers, who has been called the father of country music, has had a major influence on his style of guitar playing and music in general. Mike uses what he calls “fingerpicking.” This technique which was used by Rodgers involves playing the guitar by plucking the strings directly with the fingertips, fingernails, or with picks attached to fingers, as opposed to what is called “flatpicking.” Woody Guthrie and Hank Williams Sr. are also musicians he emulates.
Oklahoma Mike’s musical abilities are nearly legendary in Oklahoma, Kansas and even parts of Europe. Mike has played at western dances, rodeos, and other western events. He has appeared live on a number of national radio shows, such as NPR, The King Biscuit Time Radio Show, and Italy’s WCN Country Radio. Oklahoma Mike is the House Musician at the Old West Buffalo Company in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, and he is the resident musician at the Veteran’s Coffee Bunker in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
When Mike plays in the area, his partner is the renowned fiddle player named Bill Taylor. When Mike performs in Italy, his partner is a guitar player named Andrea Ciminelli, AKA Andrew John McKenzie, who played a role in the documentary “Italian Cowboys.”
Michael and his wife Norma moved to Sapulpa from Verdigris some thirty years ago. When asked how he liked Sapulpa,” You know, I like Sapulpa, but honestly, I haven’t spent a lot of time in Sapulpa. Years ago, though, I used to play the harmonica at Hickory house.”
Besides being proficient in so many fields, Mike actively supports veterans support services vis-à-vis the Veterans Coffee Bunker where helped set up the software to efficiently run the program and then became the resident musician. “After I retired in 2019, I wanted to keep myself busy because I have to stay busy. I had been hearing about the Veteran’s Coffee Bunker in Tulsa, and thought they might need a volunteer. “I said, ‘Look, I have a business background and I would like to be a volunteer if you guys can use me.’ They said yeah, and I spent the next two years designing an employer’s alliance program.”
Mike says he enjoys working with veterans, helping match their skills to the right job.
Mike has produced two albums, one of which was released 10 years ago, titled: “New Elgin” and the newest released in March, titled: “Oklahoma Mike, Old Country.” The latest album has a song composed by Mike titled; “The Ballad of Ben Johnson.”
Mike and Bill will be performing at the Old West Buffalo Company, July 29, in Pawhuska Oklahoma.
For more information about Mike’s venues, go to facebook.com/travelletti.michael
Having recently had the privilege to hear these two perform, If you enjoy traditional country music I strongly urge you to check out his CDs, his YouTube channel, youtube.com/@OldTimeCountryMusic, or his Facebook page to find out where to see them on stage.
