Steve played guitar, mandolin, fiddle and performed vocals.
Steve passed away on 24 November 2024. This obituary is adapted from the Joe Brown website.
A career born in the ‘60s
Steve was a very well-respected musician who had graced the UK and international music scene for many years, he was also a member of the MU from the beginning of his career.
In the 1960s, Steve was to be found playing in Jug Bands and British Country Music bands. Then in the early 1970s, he first played a member of Joe Brown’s Home Brew.
Steve then joined Slim Chance, the band formed by former Small Faces founding member Ronnie Lane, a true showman in action both on and off stage. A gentleman and a talented troubadour.
In the mid ‘70s Steve was performing in the iconic Meal Ticket, before joining Frankie Miller’s Band, and then a short spell with The Sutherland Brothers.
By 1980 he had become the mainstay in the legendary Chuck Farley, prior to playing with Hinkley’s Heroes and a long-standing working relationship with Roger Chapman & The Shortlist.
New projects and a solo album
1981 brought Steve a rare privilege, and he was delighted to accept an invitation from Paul Brady to work with the legendary Irish singer/songwriter’s band for a short spell, during which the Hard Station album was released and toured. Soon afterwards he played lead guitar with Dr Hook front man Dennis Locorriere’s band.
By 1989 Steve had started a project with bass man Malcolm Hoskins from Little Sister, which led to a good rocking crew ‘The New Heaters’.
In the 1990s Steve began playing with Bluesman Eric Bibb’s band, alongside ace bass player Dave Bronze, which Steve described as an emotional and musical journey, before a stint with the talented Amy Wadge. He also released a solo album during this decade, a live concert from 1998 entitled ‘Alive and Well’. The lineup included: Steve Simpson (guitar, vocals, fiddle); Malcolm Hoskins (bass); Andy Cooper (keyboards); Mick Clewes (drums).
Steve then worked on the 2010 album ‘The Wrong Road Home’, with special guests on vocals including Charlie Dore, Beccy Clowes and Andy Winfield.
Collaborations
Soon afterwards another invitation came in, this time from Errol Walsh to play in Bologna with The Distant Mercies. This resulted in a totally acoustic version of Errol’s Tender Mercies, that developed into The Coyotes.
Additionally, there was a long-standing association between Steve and ‘The Good Men in the Jungle’, fronted by Beccy Clowes and Alun Davies.
Steve was also part of reforming Slim Chance in 2010 and the producing of four albums, showcasing some of their own music as well as Ronnie Lanes.
In 2019 Steve received a call to rejoin Joe Brown on his 60th anniversary tour, which proved to be successful with plans for another tour when lockdown happened.
Steve loved being on stage
Steve's fantastic musicality was inherited from both his parents. His Dad, Bob, was a self-taught musician and played guitar, banjo and mandolin. His Mum, Joy, came from a more classical music family as her father played in, and wrote music for, string quintets.
His father was a Senior Officer in the Customs Service in Calcutta, India, where Steve and sister Sue were born.
Steve's parents had friends who were American missionaries, enabling both Sue and Steve to enrol at school when they were four and five years old. They also regularly attended church meetings, which were Steve's first experiences of singing, gospel and hymns; he loved being on the stage.
His brother Bruce was born before the family came back to England in 1953, and he too became a talented musician.
This tribute has been provided by Steve’s partner, Caroline.