Born on the 29th November 1931, Steve remembers milking his first cow at the age of five and listening to the records his father used to play, such as Jimmie Rodgers and Cuban/Latin American music.

As a teenager, he enjoyed the folk songs of Burl Ives and left school to become a cowman in Axminster, South Devon. Joining the Royal Veterinary Corps (1950-1955) and stationed in Egypt, he became a `rough rider' or mule breaker and dog handler. During this time, as well as learning Arabic, he learnt to play the guitar and could sing in eight languages. He played his first gig of Latin American instrumentals for the Forces Radio Network in 1953 with a chap called Jolly Holton.

He left the Army in 1955 and on returning to England began playing in pubs and at parties just as skiffle was becoming the rage. He met Peter Kennedy, that great folklorist and collector, who introduced him to Denis Preston of `Lansdown Records' who recorded a radio series, `Have Guitar, Will Travel' and sold it to Radio Luxembourg. Steve was the only folk singer to have his own Luxembourg series.

1957 was a busy year for Steve and the beginning of a long and successful career. Ewan McColl took him to Moscow to accompany him and, thereafter, he was sought out by every famous folk singer that needed a guitarist. This was when he recorded `Thar She Blows' and `Sporting Blades' with A.L Lloyd and Ewan McColl and began recording his own LPs. A more detailed account of this can be found in `The Guinness Who's Who of Folk Music'.

Between 1957 and 1977, Steve recorded more than 25 LPs, a large number of EPs and broadcast on TV and radio in programmes such as `Guitar Club' with Ike Isaacs, `Sunday Skiffle Club', 'Easy Beat' and his own TV programme in Scotland, `Plectrum', where he demonstrated his style of guitar playing.

By now he had an international reputation and was solidly established in the developing evolution of the English and American folk song movement, producing and directing LPs for Dominic Behan and Christie Moore's first records.

Steve has played with all the big names in folk music, including Alan Lomax, Robin Hall and Jimmy McGregor, Pete and Peggy Seeger, Alex Campbell, Martin Carthy and Cy Grant as well as mainstream entertainers like Michael Holliday, Rolf Harris, Long John Baldry and hit parade street singer Don Partridge. I came across Steve again in 1988 when he was playing in his local pub,'The Fox' with old friend and jazz guitarist, Denny Wright.

Steve is still milking goats in Hanwell, where he also keeps a pony and trap, a donkey, chickens, dogs and birds. Since 1988 he has been playing twice a week at'The Brewery Tap', Brentford where he presides over a running cabaret of singers, songwriters and instrumentalists with the experience that only fifty years of entertaining can bring.

Steve's great strength lies in his continuous learning of new material and his ability and willingness to accompany so many diverse types of singers, embracing all, from the famous to the ubiquitous Mary Bloggs.

Alan Young
3rd January 2003

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