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One of the
flashiest guitarists (both visually and instrumentally) to emerge from
the '80s rock scene was Steve Stevens. Born in Brooklyn, New York, on
May 5, 1959, Stevens first picked up the guitar when he was only seven
years old, and later became an avid prog rock fan, especially the likes
of Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Yes. Honing his craft while playing in
Manhattan, Stevens recorded an unreleased album with his band, Fine
Maribus, and also played as a session guitarist on Peter Criss' best
forgotten second post-Kiss solo outing, 1982's Let Me Rock You (although
Stevens did earn a songwriting credit for the track "First Day in the
Rain").
It was also during the early '80s that Stevens hooked up with ex-Generation
X singer Billy Idol, who had relocated to New York in hopes of launching
a solo career. Idol found the perfect foil in Stevens, and with ex-Kiss
manager Bill Aucoin backing them, Idol's career skyrocketed. Combining
Idol's punk and Stevens' hard rock backgrounds with dance music, Idol
became one of MTV's early video stars, as such albums as 1982's Billy
Idol and 1983's Rebel Yell became blockbuster hits — spurred on by Stevens'
shredding guitar licks (and outrageous glam rock looks). It took an
extended period for Idol and Stevens to offer a third album, 1986's
Whiplash Smile, and although it was another big hit, Stevens longed
to launch his own solo career, and exited Idol's band by the end of
the decade.
Stevens also remained an in-demand hired gun, as he guested on recordings
by Michael Jackson (Bad), Ric Ocasek (This Side of Paradise), Thompson
Twins (Here's to Future Days), and Robert Palmer (Don't Explain), among
others. Additionally, Stevens appeared on the mega-selling 1986 soundtrack
to the Tom Cruise movie Top Gun, for which he collaborated with keyboardist
Harold Faltermeyer on "Top Gun Anthem" (which earned Stevens a Grammy
Award for Pop Instrumental Performance that year). In 1989 Stevens formed
his own group, Steve Stevens' Atomic Playboys, but despite all the hype,
the band only lasted for a single release, Atomic Playboys.
The early '90s saw Stevens keep up his busy schedule, as he attempted
to form a new group with ex-Hanoi Rocks singer Michael Monroe, named
Jerusalem Slim, which to the dismay of fans never got much further than
the planning stages. In a strange twist of fate, Stevens then signed
on to back ex-Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil, the same man responsible
for the dissolution of Monroe's previous band, Hanoi Rocks. Stevens
hung in for an album, 1993's Exposed, and its supporting tour, before
departing for greener pastures.
Stevens finally got his chance to show off his lifelong appreciation
of prog rock when he united with bassist Tony Levin and drummer Terry
Bozzio in the bombastic outfit Bozzio Levin Stevens, issuing a pair
of releases thus far — 1997's Black Light Syndrome and 2000's Situation
Dangerous. Around the same time, Stevens reunited with Idol, appearing
alongside the singer on 2002's VH1 Storytellers, and also found time
to issue another solo release, Flamenco A Go-Go.
This
bio courtesy www.allmusic.com
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