DECEMBER 15, 2002
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CherokeeComanche Singer, Songwriter Is Winner of NAMA's "Best Male Artist" award for 2002.
By Ron Karten
Micki Free is another Indian star
loaded with talent in art and business
at the same time.
"I gotta tell you, I'm really excited
about playing for your guys," said Free
in a recent telephone interview.
Discovered by Gene Simmons of the
rock group Kiss in the 1980s, Free has
worked with Diana Ross, Prince and
Janet Jackson, and he wrote music for
movies like "Beverly Hills Cop" (win
ning a Grammy for "Best Album of an
Original Score Written for a Motion
Picture") and "Footloose."
His albums have gone platinum (a
Record Industry Association of
America award for album sales exceed
ing 1,000,000 units) and gold (exceed
ing 500,000 units).
Free's is not a standard Indian up
bringing. As he hit his teens, his step
father was transferred to Germany,
where the family lived principally for
10 years.
"I knew I was a Native, but I wasn't
aware of the racial barriers that people
put on others. They keep it down in
Europe."
As a result, it never occurred to him
that he couldn't do anything he
wanted. When he turned to rock &
roll, he spent his time on the tour bus
earning his Bachelor of Arts Degree
in public relations by a correspondence
course from Germany.
Multi-talented, Free also is a prize
winner in such shooting groups as "The
California Desperados," "Single Action
Shooting Society" and "Cowboy
Mounted-Shooting Association." He
performs around the world, both on his
horse, Ty-ee, and with any number of
instruments from guitar to Native
American flute to piano.
Free also owns companies selling
Native American jewelry and clothing.
"Cherokee Free's Native American
Jewelry" and "True Native" can be
previewed at www.cherokeefrees.com.
Free's music fans will have an ex
clusive chance to see him in (music)
action at the new Tribal gymnasium
in Grand Ronde, where he will perform
on Saturday, December 21, at 7:00
p.m. in the evening.
"We tear it up," said Free. "I'll put
on a show for you guys like when I go
on tour with Kiss. I'd be honored to do
anything to help Native people. I'm a
huge advocate for our youth. I'm down
for it."
Free, who also loves fly-fishing, will
take the opportunity while in Oregon
to see if he can't find a river that runs
through it.
Learn more about this remarkable
individual at his website:
wwwmickifree.com. B
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INTERIM CASINO C60 BILL PieRC KNOWS TH6 ROPES
Interim continued from front page
able since that time."
He left the Marines as a lance cor
poral and returned to Oregon where
he joined the Oregon State Police
(OSP).
For 28 years, he made a career in
the police department as a detective,
handling such high profile cases as
the Michael Franke murder.
Michael Franke was the Director of
the Oregon department of Correc
tions when he was murdered in
front of the DOC Headquarters in
1989.
For what Pierce described as a
simple situation of "a guy (Franke)
being in the wrong place at the
wrong time," he said it was the long
est running case of his career, tak
ing up two-and-a-half years.
When Tribal gaming was estab
lished in 1995, he was assigned to
the OSP Tribal Gaming Unit and
was involved in auditing the activi
ties of all eight Tribal casinos, in
cluding Spirit Mountain. He was
still on this beat at his retirement
in 1999.
For two months in early 2000, the
Grand Ronde Gaming Commission
coaxed him out of retirement for the
first time to help with an annual
compliance audit of the casino.
With his years of experience audit
ing Indian casinos for state govern
ment, he was a natural for the ef
fort. Then, late in the fall of 2001, the
Tribe again called on his talent, this
time to serve on the casino's Board
of Directors Spirit Mountain
Gaming, Inc. He became chairman
of the board in the fall and on Sep
tember 24, the Tribal Council
named him Interim Chief Execu
tive Officer.
"I was already familiar with the
regulatory side," he said, "and for
years I had been involved with the
people who ran the day-to-day op
erations, so it was a fairly easy
transition. I know most of the folks
here."
With the difficult job of finding a
successor in process, Pierce dis
cussed where he focuses his efforts
in the meantime. "Probably most
important is not to lose the momen
tum of the business," he said.
Still, he added, "it's a lot of fun
for me, a challenge to confront the
day-to-day issues. On the other
hand, the executive team and all
the employees have always been
exemplary to work with."
Pierce is married with two grown
sons and counts hunting and fish
ing as his favored off-duty pursuits.
"We appreciate the fact that he
grew up in this part of the coun
try," said Tribal Chairwoman
Cheryle Kennedy, "and is well ac
quainted with our Tribal culture
and values as well as our local com
munity. He is a great interim
choice for us. We are confident Bill
will continue our spirit of excel
lence, while continuing to operate
our casino in a manner that is at
tractive to the public and will pro
vide our Tribe with the means to
gain economic self sufficiency."
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