36 May 30 • 2019
jn

T

ouring part of the country on 
foot, just because he wants to — 
that is musician Mike Posner’
s 
birthday gift to himself. If all goes 
well, his steps will take him from the 
Atlantic to the Pacific by December. 
Posner, a Southfield native, is an 
in-demand, Los Angeles-based alter-
native/indie singer and songwriter. 
He turned 31 on Feb. 12. His song, “I 
Took a Pill in Ibizia,” received a 2017 
Grammy nomination.
“The Walk Across America,” as 
Posner named his adventure, is his 
next move following the January 
release of his new album A Really 
Good Kid. Acknowledging that his 
decision to travel now was not an 
agent’
s dream, Posner said, “There’
s 
never a good time to drop out and take 
an extended break like this.”
His sister, Emily Posner, a crimi-
nal defense attorney in New Orleans, 
broke the news about his upcoming 
trip to their mother, retired pharmacist 
Roberta Henrion of Southfield. 
“My first reaction when I spoke 
to Michael was: ‘
You’
re doing what! 

Walking across America? Why?’
” 
Despite Henrion’
s surprise, she’
s 
not concerned about him reaching 
his goal. Posner’
s always been athletic 
— playing soccer in elementary and 
middle schools and lettering in track, 
cross-country and basketball at Groves 
High School in Birmingham. 
Posner also developed an early 
interest in music as a percussionist in 
band camps. He started performing 
while attending Duke University and 
interned at a Detroit hip-hop station 
after his freshman year. Record com-
panies got interested when his free 
mixtape released on iTunes gained a 
large fan following.
As his senior year began, Posner 
was invited to sign with J Records, 
a subsidiary of Sony BMG Music 
Entertainment. A school counselor 
found a way for him to graduate from 
Duke with enough credits in 3½ years.
Posner achieved fame in 2009 with 
his hit song, “Cooler than Me.” The 
three albums he’
s released since then 
are “
all different,” he said. “I was never 
interested in making the same thing 

twice. I’
ve lived more life and learned 
different things.”
In a review of the newest album, a 
Variety music critic wrote that Posner 
“has matured without losing his child-
like charm.”
Planning the walk was one way for 
Posner to get out from under his sor-
row over recent tragedies: losing his 
beloved father, civil defense attorney 
Jon Posner, to brain cancer on Jan. 11, 
2017, and later the suicide of producer 
Avicii, a good friend and collaborator.
Asbury Park. N.J. — “because Bruce 
Springsteen played here a lot” — is 
where Posner and “Walk Manager” 
Colin McAndrews launched on April 
15.
“The city has a nice beach,” Posner 
said. “
And though it was really cold, I 
got into the water. That meant a lot to 
me.”

He aims to be past the Rocky 
Mountains before winter and celebrate 
the end of his nine-month walk with 
friends in Venice Beach, Calif. 
“The Walk Across America” is 
advertised on Posner’
s website 
(mikeposner.com), and he puts up 
photos and videos on his Instagram 
account. His routine is to start at 7 or 
7:30 a.m. daily. Initially walking 10 
miles, he says, “I’
m building up my 
mileage to do 20 miles per day.” He 
expects to wear out several pairs of 
walking shoes before he’
s done.
Fans along the way walk with him 
and bring food. Although he bought 
an RV camper for cooking and sleep-
ing, he’
s accepted home hospitality for 
himself and McAndrews. 
Invited by a fan and her mother 
in New Jersey, “they enjoyed a lovely 
dinner in a house with a big bath-
room,” Henrion said. “Michael seems 
to fall into these lovely situations.”
Something Posner finds fun 
while traveling is performing free, 
impromptu “ninja shows” in area 
parks. The location details go on his 
Instagram.
The “
coolest experience” he’
s had 
so far was visiting Graffiti Highway, 
the abandoned Highway Route 61 in 
Centralia, Pa. 
“The road is closed down and cov-
ered in all kinds of art and graffiti,” 
he said.
Posner remains close to his family. 
His parents taught him and Emily 
about Jewish ethics and responsibility 
toward others, reinforced by Sunday 
school at Workmen’
s Circle/Arbeter 
Ring. “My bar mitzvah topic was 
‘
The Role of Jews in the Civil Rights 
Movement.’
”
He took a break from walking to fly 
from Ohio to New Orleans for his sis-
ter’
s recent wedding to Jennifer Vitry. 
On Memorial Day, he flew to Detroit 
and gave a benefit concert on May 29. 
He will continue his journey in Ohio.
“I expect to walk with Michael in the 
summer,” Henrion said. 
While his walk is likely to yield more 
songs, Posner said he isn’
t doing it for 
that reason. 
“Everything that happens in life gets 
into your art,” he said. “It makes my art 
deeper and more layered.” 
For now, “I’
m having a ball and 
meeting new people,” Posner said. “I’
m 
enjoying every step.” ■

‘Enjoying 
Every Step’

Popular indie artist from Southfi
 eld 
is on a “Walk across America.”

music
arts&life

ESTHER ALLWEISS INGBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Alternative/indie singer-songwriter on the 

road during his “Walk Across America” 

BELOW: Posner has given impromptu con-

certs in area parks during his trek.

COLIN MCANDREWS

COLIN MCANDREWS

