Career
He played with The Seldom Scene for many years, creating a fusion of bluegrass with jazz, folk and rock. Born in Washington, District of Columbia, Auldridge started playing guitar at the age of 13. His main influence through his early years was Josh Graves who also sold him his first Dobro.
A 1967 graduate of The University of Maryland, Auldridge worked as a graphic artist for a commercial art firm in Bethesda, Maryland and then for the now defunct Washington Star-News.
He did not start playing music full-time until the Washington Star-News folded in 1981. Auldridge worked with Paul Beard (Beard Guitars) to produce the Beard Mike Auldridge Models of square-neck resophonic guitars (dobro), including an 8-string version.
Just one day prior to his 74th birthday, he died on December 29, 2012 at home under hospice care in Silver Spring, Maryland after a lengthy battle with prostate cancer.