Steve Balsamo is a singer-songwriter from Swansea, Wales. After years of learning the ropes in local rock bands, he shot to prominence in 1997 after playing Jesus to great critical acclaim in the West End revival of Jesus Christ Superstar. After winning a Variety Club Award for the role, Steve decided to return to his first love - writing and performing his own music - and signed to Columbia Records soon after. In 2002 Steve released his debut album - All I Am - which reached the top 40 in the UK. He then went on to win Best Male Solo Artist at The Welsh Music Awards the same year.
Gentle 'persuasion' by the head of the label saw Steve return to the stage in the French phenomena Notre Dame De Paris, which was followed by Poe – More Tales Of Mystery and Imagination, a new musical by Alan Parsons Project writer Eric Woolfson. Based on the life and work of Edgar Alan Poe, the show had it's world premiere at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in 2003, and features the powerful song Immortal.
In 2004, Steve formed The Storys, a West Coast influenced harmony country-rock band, with Andy Collins, Rob Thompson and Dai Smith. The band's highly acclaimed self-titled debut album, released in 2006, came to the attention of Elton John who, after publicly declaring it "Fantastic!", personally called Steve at home and invited the band to tour Europe with him – twice! The Storys have also toured and played with the likes of Joe Cocker, Katie Melua, Celine Dion, Santana, Runrig, Daniel Lanois, Van Morrison and Tom Jones to name-drop but a few.
The Storys' songs have been featured in the US teen drama One Tree Hill and hit Brit-flick The Bank Job , in which the band also made a cameo appearance playing two of their own songs. They released their second album - Town Beyond The Trees - in the UK in 2008, again to great reviews. Although calling time on The Storys, the band have decided to release a third and final (for now) album in the summer of 2010.
As a side project, Steve also formed a progressive experimental rock project with Rob Reed (Magenta) and Rob Thompson (The Storys) called ChimpanA. The resulting CD also featured Sam Brown, Tony Dallas, Christina Booth (Magenta), Margo Buchanan, Bluei, Nigel Hopkins, Andrew Griffiths and Sian Cothi. The musical influences were Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, Bjork and Massive Attack.
Steve has also formed a trio, Oystermouth, with Rob Thompson and Andy Collins of The Storys, creating a sound that is a modern twist along the lines of Simon & Garfunkel in the those hazy, folky, seminal days of the late 60s/early 70s. An EP, Five Songs For Jen, will be available soon.
After meeting Jon Lord, founder, writer and ex-keyboard player with Deep Purple at The Sunflower Jam in 2007, Steve was asked if he would like to tour with him. A huge fan of Jon, his solo work and Purple, Steve feels very privileged to sing for such a legend and genuinely nice man. He is currently writing with Jon for a forthcoming album project.
Aside from this, Steve is a prolific songwriter, having scored hits in Europe and Australia with artists as diverse as Meat Loaf, Anthony Callea, Jonatan Cerrada, Slash of Guns n' Roses fame. Recently he has been writing songs with beautiful, ethereal-voiced folk/country singer Rosalie Deighton and Julian Wilson of Grand Drive and has also started working on a solo project.
Steve feels blessed to have had many adventures in music which have allowed him to sing on stage with the likes of Roger Daltry, Robert Plant, Mario Frangoulis, Justin Hayward, Lara Fabian, Madeleine Peyroux, Glenn Hughes, Steve Harley, Lulu, a couple of Stones, a couple of Eagles, a couple of Floyds and some of the best players on the planet!
When he's not making music, Steve tries to be a good dad, paints, swims, reads, listens to Radio 4 and thinks too much.
If you want to get in touch, please email on info@stevebalsamo.co.uk, not via MySpace as it isn't checked regularly.
Steve's solo CD - All I Am - available from www.stevebalsamo.co.uk.
New Storys' CD - Luck - released on 7 June. Storys' CDs available from www.thestorys.co.uk, iTunes, Amazon, Play, HMV and all good record outlets.
ChimpanA CD available from
www.stevebalsamo.co.uk.
Eric Woolfson's Poe CD available from www.the-alan-parsons-project.com
