Born Michelle Denice Thurston[1] on December 10, 1963[2] she grew up in central Virginia where she became involved in music at an early age.

[3] Gathering inspiration and style from, among others, Loretta Lynn and Emmylou Harris, Nixon quickly developed her own powerful sound.

[4] Michelle Nixon began her professional music career when she formed the band Slate River with her husband Nick in 1989.

In 1996, they joined to create the Virginia Band "Local Exchange"[6] and released the album "Because He Lives" on Copper Creek Records.

[10] Nixon participated in the much acclaimed "Daughter's of Bluegrass" series of albums both with singing and her song writing abilities.

[15] Also in 2007 Nixon and her band Drive performed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, as part of the Bluegrass Sundays Winter Concert Series.

She has a wide range of vocal and instrumental abilities and often performs both smooth ballads and hard driving Bluegrass.

[21] Due to her own personal experiences, Nixon has often worked with charity organizations such as the American Heart Association and the Shriners.