How an imaginary soul superstar finally found his audience
When Dori Hadar found a box of fake records at a flea market, he decided to track down their creator. His search led him to Mingering Mike 鈥� and a fictional soul universe.
When Dori Hadar found a box of mysterious fake records at a Washington DC flea market, he was intrigued. From singles to live albums to soundtracks, each record cover was intricately detailed, containing song titles, lyrics and liner notes. Inside were cardboard vinyls, painted in glossy black. And all appeared to be by the same prolific artist: Mingering Mike. Dori posted pictures of the albums online, where they captured the imagination of soul fans and musicians from around the world. Encouraged, he decided to go on a quest to track down the man behind this fictional soul universe. Who was Mingering Mike? Dori was about to find out.
Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Zoe Gelber
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707
(Photo: One of Mingering Mike's albums: 'Can Minger Mike Stevens Really Sing?' Credit: Mingering Mike)
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- Thu 18 Sep 2025 11:06GMT蜜芽传媒 World Service
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