Seasick Steve: Difference between revisions

| instrument = {{hlist|Vocals|guitar|[[diddley bow]]|[[stomp box]]|[[banjo]]|[[harmonica]]}}

'''Steven Gene Wold''' ([[née|né]] '''Leach''',; 19 March 1951),<ref name=":0">[https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?dbid=5247&h=4743576&indiv=try&o_vc=Record:OtherRecord&rhSource=1144 California Birth Index, 1905-1995. Sacramento, CA, USA: State of California Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics, ''Ancestry.com'']. Retrieved August 4, 2019</ref> commonly known as '''Seasick Steve''', is an American [[blues]] [[musician]]. He plays mostly personalized guitars and sings, usually about his early life doing casual work.<ref>{{Cite news

}} {{in lang|nl}}<!--Dutch--></ref> From the late 1960s, he worked as a musician and [[recording engineer]] in the US and Europe; he played bass in [[Shanti (band)|Shanti]], and was in a disco band called Crystal Grass as well as other bands.<ref name=stanley>{{cite news|last=Stanley|first=Bob|title=How Seasick Steve turned out to be Session Man Steve|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2016/sep/29/seasick-steve-session-musician-ramblin-man-book|work=The Guardian|access-date=2 July 2019|location=London|date=2016-09-29}}</ref> He also pursued other works, including producing an album for [[Modest Mouse]]. He achieved his commercial breakthrough, initially in the UK, at the end of 2006 when he appeared on [[Jools Holland]]'s annual ''[[Jools' Annual Hootenanny|Hootenanny]]'' as Seasick Steve.<ref name="ind13">{{cite news|last=McNair|first=James|title=Seasick Steve: I'll keep playing till the wheels fall off|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/seasick-steve-ill-keep-playing-till-the-wheels-fall-off-8588782.html|work=The Independent|access-date=30 September 2013|location=London|date=2013-04-26}}</ref> He has since released a number of commercially successful albums, including ''[[I Started Out with Nothin and I Still Got Most of It Left]]'', ''[[Man from Another Time]]'', and ''[[Sonic Soul Surfer]]''.

Steve Wold was born in [[Oakland, California]], as Steven Gene Leach, though his biographer suggests that he may have been [[adoption|adopted]] as a baby. He took the surname Wold in the early 1980s, from that of his second wife.<ref>Wright, 2016, p.145</ref> Official birth records confirm his birth year as 1951.<ref>State of California. California Birth Index, 1905-1995. Sacramento, CA, USA: State of California Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics, ''Ancestry.com''. Retrieved 14 August 2018</ref> In 2000, he gave his age as 50,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/reluctant-icon/Content?oid=6010|title=Reluctant Icon|first=Rick|last=Levin|website=Thestranger.com}}</ref> though later publicity implied that he was older. andOfficial somebirth sourcesrecords suchconfirm ashis [[Allmusic]]birth claimyear heas was born in 19411951.<ref name=allmusic>[https"://www.allmusic.com/artist/seasick-steve-mn0001939829/biography Kenyon Hopkin, 0"Seasick Steve"], ''[[AllMusic]]''. Retrieved 14 August 2019</ref>

When he was four years old, his parents split up and he continued to live with his mother. He claimed that as a child he was taught to play the guitar by [[K. C. Douglas]], who worked at his grandfather's garage, and later realised that he had been taught the blues.<ref name=OGrady>{{YouTube|tmgfVPXI2Zc|Interview on The Paul O'Grady Show}} 15 Oct 2008</ref> Douglas wrote the song "[[Mercury Blues]]" and had played with [[Tommy Johnson (blues musician)|Tommy Johnson]] in the early 1940s.<ref name="Harris">Harris, S (1989). Blues Who's Who, 5th paperback edition. New York, Da Capo Press, pp. 160-161</ref> His mother remarried, to a [[Korean War]] veteran who Wold characterized as abusive, and, at the age of about 13, Wold claimed that he left home following a violent confrontation with his stepfather.<ref>Wright, 2016, p.59</ref>

Wold claimed to have lived rough and on the road in Tennessee, Mississippi and elsewhere, until at least the late 1960s.<ref name=allmusic>[https://www.allmusic.com/artist/seasick-steve-mn0001939829/biography Kenyon Hopkin, "Seasick Steve"], ''[[AllMusic]]''. Retrieved 14 August 2019</ref><ref name=ObserverSept08/> However, Wright's biography claims that Wold lived in [[Haight-Ashbury]], [[San Francisco]], for some time from 1965.<ref>Wright, 2016, pp.15-16</ref> He attended the [[Monterey International Pop Festival|Monterey Pop Festival]], regularly saw bands such as [[The Grateful Dead]] perform in the area, and became acquainted with [[Janis Joplin]] and [[Jimi Hendrix]].<ref>Wright, 2016, p.72</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telen.no/kultur/ikke-skremt-av-novembervaret/s/2-2.3402-1.4640555|title=Ikke skremt av novemberværet|website=Telen.no|date=13 November 2000}}</ref>

In about 1969, he toured clubs in the region as a backing musician with [[Lightnin' Hopkins]].<ref>Wright, 2016, p.105</ref> In 1970, as Steve Leach, he became the bass player in an innovative band, [[Shanti (band)|Shanti]], who performed a [[world music|fusion]] of [[Indian music|Indian]] and [[rock music]]. Other band members included [[Zakir Hussain (musician)|Zakir Hussain]] and [[Aashish Khan]], and all the band members were adherents of [[Transcendental Meditation]].<ref name=wright2/> In [[liner notes]] for a 2015 reissue of Shanti's only album, writer [[Richie Unterberger]] states that "bassist Steve Leach has reinvented himself as the blues musician Seasick Steve",<ref name=wright2>Wright, 2016, pp. 83-84</ref> and his participation in Shanti was confirmed by Seattle band the Tremens.<ref name=tremens/>

He left California in 1972 and moved to [[Paris]], France, where he [[busking|busked]] in the [[Paris Métro|Métro]].<ref name=IrishNews>{{cite news | title = Seasick Steve flouts Tube alcohol ban | work = Irish News | date = 2009-02-18 | url = http://www.irishnews.com/break.asp?tbrk=brk&par=brk&catid=5834&subcatid=642&storyid=399522 | access-date = 2009-03-11}}</ref> He occasionally returned to California where he married Victoria Johnson in 1974; they had two sons together but later divorced.<ref>Wright, 2016, p. 115</ref> Wold also spent time in the 1970s in [[Hawaii]], and worked as a session musician and [[recording studio|studio engineer]], as well as in occasional manual jobs. He has claimed to have played with other musicians including [[Son House]], [[John Lee Hooker]], [[Albert King]], and [[Joni Mitchell]] around this time.<ref name = ObserverSept08/> In 1976, he worked with French producer Lee Hallyday and fronted the [[disco]] group Crystal Grass.<ref name=stanley/> Leach appeared on two Crystal Grass albums released by [[Philips Records]] in France, ''Dance Up a Storm'' and ''Ocean Potion'', the latter credited to Steve Leach with the Crystal Grass Orchestra. The group also released several singles including "You Can Be What You Dream".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/104916-Crystal-Grass|title=Crystal Grass|website=Discogs.com|access-date=12 May 2021}}</ref><ref name=stanley/><ref>[https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/lets-listen-to-seasick-steves-disco-album-759115 Thomas Smith, "Let’s All Listen to Seasick Steve’s 1970s Disco Group", ''NME.com'', 30 September 2016]. Retrieved 19 August 2019</ref> He also sang on the first album released by [[Mike Love]]'s side project [[Celebration (1970s band)|Celebration]], a collaboration with members of the Paris-based band [[King Harvest]].<ref>[https://www.discogs.com/Celebration-Celebration/release/1680693 "Celebration", ''Discogs.com'']. Retrieved 19 August 2019</ref>

Wold released his first album, entitled ''[[Cheap (album)|Cheap]]'', recorded in 2004 with the Level Devils as his rhythm section, with Jo Husmo on stand-up bass and Kai Christoffersen on drums. His debut solo album, ''[[Dog House Music]]'' was released by [[Bronzerat Records]] on 26 November 2006, after he was championed by an old friend, Joe Cushley, DJ on the ''Balling The Jack'' blues show on London radio station [[Resonance FM]].

Wold made his first UK television appearance on [[Jools Holland]]'s annual ''[[Hootenanny (UK TV series)|Hootenanny]]'' BBC TV show on [[New Year's Eve]] 2006. He performed a live rendition of "Dog House Boogie" on the "Three String Trance Wonder" and the "Mississippi Drum Machine". After that show his popularity exploded in Britain, and he commented "I can't believe it, all of the sudden I'm like the cat's meow!"<ref name="Op de Beeck, p. 159"/>

He was well received in the UK, winning the [[2007 MOJO Awards|2007]] [[MOJO Awards|MOJO Award]] for Best Breakthrough Act and going on to appear at major UK festivals such as [[Reading and Leeds Festivals|Reading, Leeds]] and [[Glastonbury Festival|Glastonbury]]. In 2007 he played more UK festivals than any other artist. At that time, it was claimed in press coverage that he was 66 years old, though he was later demonstrated to be ten years younger.<ref name=stanley/>

In February 2011, Wold signed to [[PIAS Recordings|Play It Again Sam]] to release his new album with the exception of the US, where it will be released on [[Third Man Records]]. Subsequently, his new album ''[[You Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks]]'' was released on his new labels and it was announced that former [[Led Zeppelin]] bassist [[John Paul Jones (musician)|John Paul Jones]] had played on the new album, and performed alongside Wold to promote it.<ref name="bbc.co.uk">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/later/#p00h2kwz |title=Later with Jools Holland - Latest show information and exclusive performances filmed for the web |publisher=BBC |date=2011-07-12 |access-date=2011-12-30}}</ref> This caused some to believe that he will tour with Wold as a part of his backing band, joining his then-current drummer Dan.{{citation needed|date=June 2014}} John Paul Jones did indeed appear onstage to play with Wold at the Isle of Wight 2011 festival<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv590cPhQFc |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211217/Fv590cPhQFc |archive-date=2021-12-17 |url-status=live|title=Seasick Steve - Interview on BBC Breakfast |publisher=BBC |date=2011-05-31 |access-date=2011-06-08}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and on the main stage of Rock Werchter 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rockwerchter.be/en/news/article.aspx?aid=ae77696f-48f3-4697-9df1-572d95034c27|title=Rock Werchter announcement - John Paul Jones to join Seasick Steve on stage|website=Rockwerchter.be |access-date=2011-07-07}}</ref>

When asked about his nickname, Wold has said: "because it's just true: I always get [[Seasickness|seasick]]". When he was ill on a [[ferry]] from Norway to Copenhagen, later in his life, a friend began playfully using the name and, despite Wold not rising to it for a while, it stuck. When asked about his name on British Sunday morning television show, ''[[Something for the Weekend (TV programme)|Something for the Weekend]]'', he replied, "I just get sick on boats".<ref name=OGrady/><ref>Op de Beeck, pp. 158-9</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep7FyZAMqiE&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fuser%2FSeasickSteveOfficial&feature=player_profilepage |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140606221643/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep7FyZAMqiE&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fuser%2FSeasickSteveOfficial&feature=player_profilepage |archive-date=2014-06-06 |url-status=dead|title=Miquita interview |publisher=YouTube |access-date=2010-08-27}}</ref>

Wold's son Didrik is an illustrator, and has designed his father's album artwork, merchandise, print ads, and websites.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.seasicksteve.com/news,who-designs-seasick-steves-artwork_41.htm |title=new album "Man From Another Time" out now! &#124; news |publisher=Seasick Steve |date=2009-10-18 |access-date=2010-05-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100309105353/http://www.seasicksteve.com/news,who-designs-seasick-steves-artwork_41.htm|archive-date=2010-03-09}}</ref> His youngest son, Paul Martin Wold, played drums on ''Dog House Music'' and first made a guest appearance with him on percussion at the Astoria in January 2008.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}} He has since performed with Wold frequently, playing washboard, shakers, tambourine, floor tom and occasionally guitar. He also works as Steve's guitar- tech. Paul Martin Wold, aka "Wishful Thinking", released his debut album ''A Waste of Time Well Spent'' on 2 November 2009, and showcased a selection from the album whilst touring the UK with his father.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whisperinandhollerin.com/incoming/item.asp?id=1941 |title=Wishful Thinking tours with Seasick Steve |website=Whisperinandhollerin.com |access-date=2010-05-03}}</ref>

* [[John Paul Jones (musician)|John Paul Jones]] – bass guitar <small>(2011&ndash;present2013)</small><ref name="bbc.co.uk"/>

[[Category:19411951 births]]

[[Category:SlideAmerican slide guitarists]]