Steve Lauri

Last updated

Steve Lauri
Steve Lauri PR photo.jpg
Background information
Born (1954-04-26) 26 April 1954 (age 68)
London, England
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • songwriter
Instrument(s)Guitar
Years active1977–present
Member of The Hollies
Formerly of Cliff Richard Band

Steve Lauri (born 26 April 1954) is a British guitarist and a member of the rock/pop band The Hollies. [1] [2]

Contents

Early life and education

Lauri was born in London. He began performing professionally in the mid seventies.

Career

Lauri started his working life as an apprentice in the avionics industry with GEC Avionics in Rochester, Kent, but quit to pursue his professional music career. Lauri worked briefly on U.S. Army and Air Force bases in Germany, and then moved on to the London pub circuit. In 1977 he joined pop disco group 5000 Volts, [3] and the group toured the UK, Europe, Scandinavia and South Africa and had two top ten hits while Lauri was with them. They also supported the Stylistics on their British tour, including their performance at the Royal Albert Hall.

In 1979 Lauri joined the Bonnie Tyler Band as a singing guitarist, touring Europe and America to promote It's a Heartache, Tyler's second hit single.

In 1980 Steve joined Sprinkler, the resident band at The Green Man pub in south east London, where he performed until the mid-eighties, when the band was called upon as session/backing players to the hit group Bucks Fizz. Lauri took part in many UK and European tours with them, and was injured in the Bucks Fizz coach crash.

Lauri joined the newly formed Cliff Richard Band in 1987. He toured with Richard for three years, including visits to New Zealand, Australia and Europe, and recorded with the band on the album Thief in the Night. [4] [5] Lauri took part in the concert called The Event at the now demolished Wembley Stadium.

In the early nineties Lauri toured with Elaine Paige, again as guitarist/vocalist. He later worked with the glam rock Glitter Band, both touring and in the recording studio.

From 1996 to 1999 Steve worked in various theatres, playing guitar for comedian Billy Pearce, singer David Essex, and as part of comedy duo Hale and Pace's backing band. Also in the nineties he played at many recording sessions at Pelican Studios, which was part owned by Ray Stiles, bass guitarist with The Hollies.

Lauri joined The Hollies in 2004 as a guitarist and backing vocalist, [6] [7] and is a contributor to the harmonies for which The Hollies are known. [8] [9] He recorded with The Hollies on their studio albums, Staying Power and Then, Now and Always, as well as their double CD titled, Hollies Live Hits, We Got the Tunes.

Laurie has been part of the Hollies tour since 2004. [7] On tour he is the featured singer on several of their hits, including King Midas in Reverse and Here I Go Again. He performed with the band during their 50th anniversary tour in 2012, [10] as well as on the following album, Fifty at 50. [11]

Lauri performs as a solo artist when not on tour with the band. He has written and recorded many original songs, [12] and released his first solo CD in 2012, titled At Last. He toured the US in support of this CD and subsequently recorded a second album, Curfew. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Crickets</span> American rock and roll band

The Crickets were an American rock and roll band from Lubbock, Texas, formed by singer-songwriter Buddy Holly in January 1957. Their first hit record, "That'll Be the Day", released in May 1957, peaked at number three on the Billboard Top 100 chart on September 16, 1957. The sleeve of their first album, The "Chirping" Crickets, shows the band line-up at the time: Holly on lead vocals and lead guitar, Niki Sullivan on rhythm guitar, Jerry Allison on drums, and Joe B. Mauldin on bass. The Crickets helped set the template for subsequent rock bands, such as the Beatles, with their guitar-bass-drums line-up, performing their own self-written material. After Holly's death in 1959 the band continued to tour and record into the 1960s and beyond with other band members through to the 21st century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers</span> American rock band

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers was an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida. Formed in 1976, the band originally comprised lead singer and rhythm guitarist Tom Petty, lead guitarist Mike Campbell, keyboardist Benmont Tench, drummer Stan Lynch and bassist Ron Blair. In 1982, Blair, weary of the touring lifestyle, departed the band. His replacement, Howie Epstein, stayed with the band for the next two decades. In 1991, Scott Thurston joined the band as a multi-instrumentalist—mostly on rhythm guitar and second keyboard. In 1994, Steve Ferrone replaced Lynch on drums. Blair returned to the Heartbreakers in 2002, the year before Epstein's death. The band had a long string of hit singles including "Breakdown", "American Girl", "Refugee", "The Waiting", "Learning to Fly", and "Mary Jane's Last Dance", among many others, that stretched over several decades of work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Zombies</span> English rock band

The Zombies are a British rock band formed in the early 1960s in St Albans and led by keyboardist and vocalist Rod Argent and vocalist Colin Blunstone. The group had a British and American hit in 1964 with "She's Not There". In the US, two further singles—"Tell Her No" in 1965 and "Time of the Season" in 1969—were also successful. Their 1968 album Odessey and Oracle was ranked number 100 on Rolling Stone's 2012 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and number 243 on Rolling Stone's 2020 list. The Zombies were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Bruce</span> Scottish musician and composer (1943–2014)

John Symon Asher "Jack" Bruce was a Scottish singer, songwriter, musician and composer. He gained popularity as the primary lead vocalist and ‍bassist ‍of British rock band Cream. After the group disbanded in 1968, he pursued a solo career and also played with several bands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Hollies</span> English pop group formed in the early 1960s

The Hollies are a British rock and pop band, formed in 1962. One of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the mid-1970s, they are known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. Allan Clarke and Graham Nash founded the band as a Merseybeat-type group in Manchester, although some of the band members came from towns further north in East Lancashire. Nash left the group in 1968 to form Crosby, Stills & Nash, though he has reunited with the Hollies on occasion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bucks Fizz</span> English pop group (1981–2018)

Bucks Fizz are an English pop group that achieved success in the 1980s, most notably for winning the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Making Your Mind Up". The group was formed in January 1981 specifically for the contest and comprised four vocalists: Bobby G, Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan and Jay Aston. They received attention for the dance routine which accompanied the song, in which the male members of the group ripped the female members' outer skirts off to reveal much shorter mini-skirts beneath. The group went on to have a successful career around the world, but the UK remained their biggest market, where they had three No.1 singles with "Making Your Mind Up" (1981), "The Land of Make Believe" (1981) and "My Camera Never Lies" (1982) and became one of the top-selling groups of the 1980s. They also had UK Top 10 hits with "Now Those Days Are Gone" (1982), "If You Can't Stand the Heat" (1982), "When We Were Young" (1983) and "New Beginning " (1986). Bucks Fizz have sold over 50 million records worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Fairweather Low</span> Welsh singer and guitarist (born 1948)

Andrew Fairweather Low is a Welsh guitarist and singer. He was a founding member and lead singer of 1960s pop band Amen Corner, and in recent years has toured extensively with Roger Waters, Eric Clapton and Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jay Aston</span> Musical artist

Jay Hilda Aston is a British singer and occasional songwriter. She was a member of the British pop group Bucks Fizz from 1981 to 1985 and now under The Fizz. She was the youngest member of the group's original line-up, aged 19 when they won the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest. During Aston's membership, the group had 12 of their 13 UK top 40 hit singles, including three number one hits. Since 2009, she has performed alongside fellow original Bucks Fizz members Cheryl Baker and Mike Nolan. The group used to perform under the name the Original Bucks Fizz but are now known as the Fizz.

Bobby G is a member of pop group Bucks Fizz, best known for winning the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest and for achieving three UK number one hits with "Making Your Mind Up" (1981), "The Land of Make Believe" (1981) and "My Camera Never Lies" (1982).

<i>Bucks Fizz</i> (album) 1981 studio album by Bucks Fizz

Bucks Fizz is the eponymous debut studio album by the British pop group Bucks Fizz. It was released on 26 July 1981, it features their Eurovision-winning song "Making Your Mind Up" as well as the two follow-up singles "Piece of the Action" and "One of Those Nights". The album was produced by Andy Hill and released on RCA Records. Bucks Fizz has been re-released twice on CD, first in 2004 with bonus tracks and as a two-disc edition in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Howarth</span> English musician

Peter Howarth is an English musician, who is the lead singer of the English band The Hollies. He also has a career as solo artist and used to be a backing singer. In 2014 he released the CD album Evermore featuring his acoustic version of "He Ain't Heavy - He's My Brother".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">As Friends Rust</span> American melodic hardcore band

As Friends Rust is an American melodic hardcore band based in Gainesville, Florida. The original line-up, which included vocalist Damien Moyal, guitarist Henry Olmino, bass guitarist Jeronimo Gomez and drummer Matthew Crum, formed in Davie, Florida in September 1996. After recording a demo tape but failing to secure a record deal, the band parted ways in February 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damien Moyal</span> American musician

Damien Zev Moyal is an American vocalist, lyricist, musician, songwriter and designer. Originally from Amstelveen, North Holland, Netherlands, he moved to the United States as a child and grew up in Miami, Florida, where he notably fronted such hardcore punk, metallic hardcore and melodic hardcore bands as Shai Hulud, As Friends Rust, Morning Again, Culture, Bird of Ill Omen and Bridgeburne R. Moyal has been based in Ann Arbor, Michigan since 2006 and is the founding member of the semi-eponymously named gothic rock/post-punk band Damien Done.

<i>As Friends Rust / Discount</i> 1998 EP by As Friends Rust and Discount

As Friends Rust / Discount is a split extended play by Gainesville, Florida-based melodic hardcore band As Friends Rust and Vero Beach, Florida-based punk rock band Discount. It was released by Belgian record label Good Life Recordings in December 1998 on compact disc and 7" vinyl. In promotion of the release, As Friends Rust and Discount embarked on a six-week European and United Kingdom tour, from December 1998 to January 1999, accompanied by Swedish hardcore group Purusam. The European tour included a stop to play at the Good Life Winter Festival, in Kortrijk, Belgium.

Andrew Gerard Hill is an English record producer and songwriter who worked with Bucks Fizz and Celine Dion during the 1980s and 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaleb Stewart</span> American musician (1975–2021)

Kaleb Stewart was an American musician, vocalist, songwriter and former skateboarder. Originally from Talkeetna, Alaska, he moved around in his childhood before settling in Tampa, Florida as a teenager, and later made his home in Gainesville, Florida. While in Gainesville, he notably played bass guitar and provided backing vocals in the melodic hardcore band As Friends Rust from 1998 to 2000, and in the hardcore punk band Bridgeburne R from 1999 to 2000. Stewart took part of As Friends Rust's reunion in 2008 and remained with the band until 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Fizz</span> British pop music group

The Fizz are a British pop music group formed in 2004 as a spin-off from the original group, Bucks Fizz. The core of the group consists of Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan and Jay Aston, who are all former members of Bucks Fizz and performed as OBF initially with Shelley Preston and then replaced by Jay Aston. The group then performed as Formerly of Bucks Fizz, and Bobby McVay later became a member in 2015, making the group a quartet, and then renaming as The Fizz until he left in 2018. To date, the group have released four albums, three of which have charted in the Official UK Albums Chart. Their 2017 album The F-Z of Pop reached No.25, becoming the highest-charting Bucks Fizz related album in 33 years. In 2018, Christmas with the Fizz was released. In 2020, Smoke & Mirrors was released, reaching number 29 in the Official UK Albums Chart and number 6 on the Official Sales Chart.

<i>What Goes Around...</i> (Hollies album) 1983 studio album by The Hollies

What Goes Around... is the 21st UK studio album by English rock/pop group, the Hollies. It includes their version of The Supremes' "Stop! In the Name of Love", which became their last US hit single. The Hollies reunited with Graham Nash for this album and for the following US tour. The LP was the band's first and last album with Nash since Butterfly (1967) and also their last one with lead singer Allan Clarke. Among the guest musicians, you can find Brian Chatton who was formerly keyboardist for The Warriors with Jon Anderson, and Flaming Youth with Phil Collins.

<i>Greatest Hits?</i> 2014 compilation album by As Friends Rust

Greatest Hits? is a compilation album by American melodic hardcore band As Friends Rust. It was originally released on compact disc by Japanese record label Cosmic Note on June 4, 2014. Indonesian record label D'Kolektif released the compilation on compact cassette on December 27, 2014. Dutch record label Shield Recordings re-issued the compact disc and issued a 12" vinyl edition for the European market on April 29, 2015, though this version omitted three songs due to vinyl time constraints.

References

  1. "Live Review: The Hollies – Lowry Theatre, Salford – 22/3/13". The Bolton News 24 March 2013 in Music Reviews by Martin Hutchinson.
  2. "Review: The Hollies, Cheltenham Town Hall". Gloucester Citizen.
  3. "CD REVIEWS RAY WILSON CHA". Good Times, via Yumpu.
  4. "Hollies revel in Dunedin sun". Otego Daily Times.
  5. Victor Rust (2010). The Cliff Richard Recording Catalogue 1958–2010. Rust. pp. 541–. ISBN   978-0-9567384-0-0.
  6. "The Hollies". Daily Info
  7. 1 2 "Hollies turn back clock; REVIEWS The Hollies SYMPHONY HALL.". Southern Echo., also Birmingham Post & Mail, via The Free Library.
  8. "Interview: The Hollies promise 'hit-fest' at Royal Concert Hall gig". Nottingham Post 25 March 2015
  9. Graham Reid. "THE HOLLIES. TONY HICKS INTERVIEWED (2010): The road is long . . .". Elsewhere by Graham Reid.
  10. "The Hollies 50th Anniversary Tour Review". Edinburgh Guide, Irene Brown on 23 April 2012
  11. "Album Review: The Hollies – 50 at Fifty". Renowned for Sound, 7 October 2014 | By Aisleen Evans
  12. "The Fairfax 'Tuba Guy' gets his own song, courtesy of one of the Hollies". Washington Post, Tom Jackman 8 August 2013.
  13. "Steve Lauri's new album". WJLA By Fasia Hardy, 8 August 2014