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Born and bred in the evangelical foothills of southern Indiana, young Steven was being groomed for a career in the ministry. Altruist guitar player and lifelong family friend Jeff Henson can tell you stories about things like 6-year-old Steven preaching a funeral over his dead pet bird. Neighbors still remember him literally jumping up on tree stumps to preach to his playmates and passers by. In fact, he was delivering the main Sunday morning sermon at the family church as young as age 10.
Then we got that first fateful Beatles album in the house. There was the world of the Christian church, then suddenly there was this whole other world. Well, let's just say he took a left turn. To Steve, the Beatles are in fact bigger than Jesus Christ . Of course, there were some years of confusion in between, trying to reconcile these incompatible world views. If you listen to "The King's Library," it'll be obvious who won. In summation then, Steve identifies readily with both Jerry Lee Lewis and his cousin (and early Steve hero) Jimmy Swaggart.
About the same time that Beatles album began corrupting his young mind, Steve joined the Boy Scouts. His first merit badge was music. His first composition was written as part of the requirements for that badge. Hearing his much beloved music teacher Mr. Crosley playing his piece back to him on a simple plastic recorder in grade school lit the fire of artistic drive in his soul. Oh, and Steve did eventually become an Eagle Scout.
He wrote his first full-fledged pop song for a class project, based on a short story from an English class. The teacher was quite impressed with her enthusiastic young pupil when he brought his guitar in to play the song, as was the class. The teachers and administration were less pleased as he began hauling his axe to school and throwing concerts in hallways, bathrooms (the best acoustics of course, but gender limited) and eventually began comandeering classrooms. He came to be considered a "disruptive force." Yeah, baby!
Steve went on continue his reign of terror at Ball State University. He played hundreds of coffee house and study hall gigs. He became a fixture at the legendary "No Bar and Grill." Among other collegiate adventures, he was also a key player in the guerilla performance art troupe cum student politicians calling themselves the "Surprise Party." Let's just say that "legitimate" student leaders didn't appreciate him any more than did the administration. Somewhere in between these learning activities he got a Bachelor's degree in history and philosophy.
His first commercial release was the five song EP "Just Trying to Help Out Society." Subsequent CD releases have included "Mudpies for Mommy" and "Love Song Demos."