Born in London March 1959 to musical parents David Lindup and Nadia Cattouse, Michael started composing at age 3, and took piano lessons from age 6. He was influenced by a wide variety of music all around him in the family household from Menuhin to Miles Davis, Bartok through the Beatles to Bossa. At Chethams School of Music he studied piano, percussion and composition, and sang in senior and chamber choirs, then graduated to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. There his musical experience spread to include playing orchestral percussion in concert at the Royal Festival and Albert Halls, drums and keyboards in jazz ensembles and participating in pop workshops.\r In 1990 Mike released his first solo album Changes, a song album featuring his great friend Dominic Miller on guitar, Pino Palladino on bass and Manu Katche on drums.