Steve's
musical career started at the age of 4, with vocal and dance training at the Carol Rae
Studio's in South San Francisco. By age 5, he was performing as a vocalist for events at
the Moose hall in South San Francisco and the South City Fair. In 1954, he won first prize
on the bay area TV talent show, Our Gang and was on his way to a busy singing career.
However, severe illness halted all progress and left him with asthma.
At 12 Steve began classical piano lessons, which soon turned to
music theory. Not long after, he began teaching himself how to play the guitar. In high
school he jammed with friends playing jazz and rock. At 21, Steve joined his first working
band and played with High Gain for six years. After briefly working with a group out of
Bend, Oregon he returned to the bay area and played for several years with the band
Breezin.
In 1979 Steve moved to Tuolumne County where he worked with a
variety of bands, including the Live Rooster Orchestra, and the Looney Bros., playing
swing, country and rock. In the mid 80', Steven dabbled in acting, performing with the
Columbia College Theater Dept., C.A.R. and S.R.T. all in the Sonora area. His acting
culminated with a speaking role in the Universal Pictures movie, Back To The Future III.
From 1994 to 1999, Steve worked with the new grass band Springfield Crossing, which
performed at the Strawberry Music Festival in 1995, 1996, and 1998.
Steven joined the Black Irish Band in 1992 after returning from a
two-month tour of Asia with a theatrical troupe. As a pianist/vocalist/actor Steve
performed in a Canadian play, "Billy Bishop Goes To War," in Hong Kong,
Shanghai, Singapore and Guangzhou. Initially Steve played mandolin, guitar, and sang with
the band, but after a case of tendonitis in 1996, his performing with the band slowed down
considerably. In January of 1999, he came back full time playing accordion and guitar, and
later added the tenor banjo.
Currently, when the Black Irish Bands busy schedule allows, Steve
plays keyboards with Special Delivery, a country and rock dance band from Murphys, CA.,
however, most of his time is spent performing and recording the great variety of folk
music presented by the Black Irish Band.
