Steve Key is an award-winning songwriter, performer and recording artist. He is also a songwriting teacher, concert producer, host of weekly songwriter showcases Tuesdays at The Clubhouse in San Luis Obispo, and Thursdays at the Porch in Santa Margarita. He is the music booker for Linnaea's Cafe, also in SLO. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He wrote "Record Time (33, 45, 78)" recorded by country star Kathy Mattea in 1992, and by the Nashville duo called Hometown News on their CD released in Sept. '05. Dozens of folk, country, blues and pop artists have recorded and performed Steve Key songs. Key has written songs with Dave Mallett, Kate Campbell, Pierce Pettis, Sally Barris and many others on Nashville's Music Row.
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Key was honored with a Lifetime Membership in the Songwriters Association of Washington, DC. Members of the Washington Area Music Association have nominated Steve Key for its "Wammie" awards as "Best Songwriter of the Year" and "Best Folk Male Vocalist".
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Other awards include:
WINNER of the New Folk contest at the Kerrville (TX) Folk Festival.
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2003 TOP TEN FINALIST in the Mountain Stage NewSong Festival songwriting contest in West Virginia.
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2005 TOP TEN FINALIST in the Plowshares Song contest in Phoenixville PA.
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Steve Key toured frequently across the U.S. and Canada, performed at the Philadelphia Folk Festival, the Canadian folk festivals at Winnipeg and Owen Sound, and three times on the main stage of the Kerrville Folk Festival. He appeared at major venues such as The Birchmere (VA), The Ark (MI), The Bluebird Cafe (TN), and The Kennedy Center (DC). Key shared concert billing with Richard Thompson, Christine Lavin, Patty Larkin, Cheryl Wheeler, Ellis Paul, Livingston Taylor, James McMurtry, David Mallett, Taj Mahal, Rory Block, Claudia Schmidt, Jonathan Edwards, Bill Staines and Tom Paxton.
