Steve
Arrington is a singer, songwriter, drummer, record producer, engineer, and
minister. While he was away from the game for a while, he’s back and once
again, pushing the envelope. Known for his innovative vocals on such classics
as “Watching You” and “Just A Touch of Love,” with Slave, as well as his solo
work like “Weak at the Knees”, “Way Out”, “Feel So Real” and “Nobody Can Be
You”, his songs have been sampled by the likes of Jay-Z, Jermaine Dupri, Tribe
Called Quest, De La Soul, Snoop, LL Cool J, Mariah Carey, and N.W.A. His music
also helped create the blueprint of 90’s west coast g-funk music along with
Zapp and George Clinton.
Music
has always been part of Steve Arrington’s life. Born in 1956, to Dan and
Lillian Arrington, in Great Lakes, Illinois, the family soon returned to their
hometown of Dayton, Ohio; where Steve grew up listening to the music his family
played on the radio and record player. (Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye were in
heavy rotation back in the day.) Before he could read, he could identify the
requested record by the colors on the label and operate the record player. By
age, five he was playing drums on pots and pans. When he was about seven years
old, his grandparents bought him his first drum set, a blue sparkle set of Slingerlands.
By age
thirteen, Steve regularly played in the Dayton Battle of the Bands which led to
gigging regularly in the Dayton area. One band, the Soul Illusions and Eluders,
opened for major acts such as, The Five Stair Steps, Rufus Thomas, and Jerry Butler.
By his senior year in high school, he played with a band called the Young
Mystics, from which came several original members of Slave.
In 1975,
Steve began touring the states with a lounge band called The Murphy’s. In 1977,
Steve moved to California and studied Latin percussion and drumming with the
Escovedo family (Coke, Pete, and Sheila) which led to a tour that featured
Carlos Santana on guitar.
He
returned to Dayton in 1978, to join Slave, as drummer and eventual lead singer
for four albums (“The Concept,” “Just A Touch Of Love,” “Stone Jam,” and
“Showtime”). Steve witnessed the birth of hip hop first hand, as artists like
The Sugarhill Gang and Grandmaster Flash opened for Slave on the “Just A Touch
Of Love” tour in 1979.
In 1982,
Steve formed the innovative funk band, Steve Arrington’s Hall of Fame for two
albums, “Hall Of Fame I” and “Positive Power”, released on Atlantic Records.
After his conversion to Christ in 1984, during the making of Positive Power,
Steve did three solo albums for Atlantic: Dancin In The Key Of Life (1985), The
Jammin National Anthem (1986) and Jam Packed (1987). “Dancin In The Key”, spent
three weeks at #2 on the dance charts , while, “Feel So Real’’ reached #6 on
the UK Singles Chart.
Steve
was nominated for the 1986 NAACP Image Award for Male Artist of the Year.
According to music editor Scott Galloway, Steve paved the road for groups such
as Sounds of Blackness and The Winans to walk the line between gospel and
secular soul. In 2000, Steve won a Grammy via participation for the Hit Single,
“Money Ain’t A Thang”, performed by Jay Z and Jermaine Dupri (utilizing a
sample of Steve’s hit “Weak At The Knees’’.)
In 1991,
Steve stepped away from the recording industry altogether, devoting his life to
spirituality. He continued to study music, from gospel to jazz, classical to
blues, electronic to world music, and Latin to hip hop.
Steve
was keynote speaker at the People of His Presence International Praise and
Worship Conference, with Rev. Derwin Ward, Martha Munizzi and Vicki Yohe. He
was keynote speaker and taught at several Tri-State Praise and Worship
Conferences in Cincinnati, Oh. He also played drums on “Let’s Have Church” and
“I Give You Jesus”, from the Evangelist Network Video Series, with executive
producer Don Gessner. In December 2005, Steve played drums for the Hope For The
Nations Tour to Cardiff, Wales, London, England and Amsterdam, Holland. In
2007, Steve traveled to Matagalpa, Nicaragua, and some surrounding villages,
where he was able to minister and spend time with the band, Esperonza.
This
fusion of spirituality and musical study resulted in the 2009 self released
“Pure Thang”, In it, you hear the discovery of new ideas mixed with the musical
legacy of those that came before him.
This
lead to Steve signing to Stones Throw Records and the 2011 release of the Maxi
Single, “Goin Hard”, on vinyl and the 2013 collaboration album “Higher”, as
well as a collaboration with Snoop Dogg and Dam Funk on the song “1Question”.
Steve is
touring with a new band, as well as, doing dates with artists like DJ Quik and
Q Tip, who are more than up for the idea of sharing the stage with someone who
influenced and inspired their careers. Currently, Steve is finishing some
unreleased songs from the Hall of Fame years, for release in 2014, as well as
brand new album. A new chapter is upon us.
Steve Arrington is appearing at (le) poisson rouge on August 19 with King Mono and special guests / Advance $15 / Day of Show $20
Steve
Arrington w/King Mono + special guests / Tue.,
August 19, 2014 at 8:00 PM
(le)
poisson rouge | 158 Bleecker Street | 212.505.FISH | info@lprnyc.com
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