Steve Travis | |
---|---|
Birth name | Stephen Greenfield |
Born | Colchester | 17 March 1951
Genres | |
Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, poet, author, craftsman |
Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, piano, drums |
Years active | 1964–present |
Labels | |
Website | http://www.stevetravis.co.uk |
Steve Travis is an English retired singer-songwriter, musician, recording artist and author. He was born and raised in Colchester, Essex. His biggest selling albums are in the easy listening country style. More recently Travis has been known for sea shanties including "Billy O'Shea" that debuted in April 2021 on BBC Radio Essex [1] with fellow musician and "Wellerman" creator Nathan Evans.
Travis began his music career in the mid 1960s as a drummer in Colchester bands performing progressive rock. In 1970, he made a switch to guitar and vocals and formed the glam-rock band, Plod. As a pop singer throughout the 1970s, he made many appearances alongside top acts including ELO, Genesis, Slade, Thin Lizzy, [2] and Showaddywaddy. He then went on to form the hard rock band, The Perishers. They attracted the interest of London-based management company Deville Promotions and quickly booked time in Polydor Studios in London and recorded four demo tracks. These were original rock songs written by Travis. At that time Travis bore a likeness to Marc Bolan and his photograph appeared next to the late T. Rex frontman in national newspapers in 1979.[ citation needed ]
Travis moved on to country music issuing a single in 1982 entitled "Ghost Riders in the Sky" / "Moonlight on the Trail". This received excellent reviews in many of the music papers.[ citation needed ] For some years Travis retreated completely from the music business to concentrate on family life.
In 1991, Travis returned to performing country music and toured in the UK and Europe topping the bill at many CMC clubs, festivals and theatres.[ citation needed ] In 1994, he released his first CD album on the MJMusic record label, later signing a record deal with the Irish label Foam Records in 1997. His first album, 50 Country & Favourite Songs, a sing-along album in the style of Max Bygraves, sold over 100,000 copies and achieved a silver disc for sales. Travis released a further 14 albums [3] on the Foam label then continued his career with London-based Prism Leisure in 2003.
In 2004, Travis composed and played keyboards on an album of relaxation music titled Healing Shores released on the Aquavision label. Following this an album of his narrated poetry set to music entitled Fragments of Desire was released on the Blue Water music label, taken from the book of the same name.
With an increasing enthusiasm for sea shanties and inspiration from his longtime home by the sea in West Mersea there came a change of musical style. [4] In 2012, H&H Music released Travis' first shanty album, Shanties and Other Songs of the Sea and a music video for his song "The Black Water Smuggler", [5] reflects the history of the Blackwater Estuary. It was followed in 2016 by Sea Shanties and Pirate Songs. [6]
In 2021 Travis created his first charity single to support a Horse & Animal rescue group in Tenerife [7] where he now resides.
Year | Album | Label |
---|---|---|
1982 | Ghost Riders in the Sky | Frontier |
1994 | Roses After the Rain | MJMusic |
1994 | The Song Book | Blue Water Music |
1994 | Sings Country | Blue Water Music |
1994 | Sings Raymond Froggatt | Blue Water Music |
1997 | 50 Country and Favourite Super Songs | Foam Records |
1997 | Life Is What You Make It | Foam Records |
1997 | 50 Songs You Love to Sing | Foam Records |
1997 | 50 Songs You Want to Hear | Foam Records |
1997 | 50 Singalong Country Party | Foam Records |
1997 | Songs of Love | Foam Records |
1997 | For the Good Times | Foam Records |
1997 | Singalong Christmas | Foam Records |
1997 | Country Gospel | Foam Records |
1997 | 50 Singalong Old Time Favourites | Foam Records |
1997 | Nashville Collection | Foam Records |
1997 | Everything I Own | Foam Records |
1997 | Jukebox Favourites | Foam Records |
1997 | Irish Collection | Foam Records |
2002 | When Yesterday Was Now | Blue Water Music |
2003 | Life Is What You Make It | Prism |
2003 | Best of Friends | Prism |
2003 | Enjoy Yourself | Prism |
2004 | Healing Shores | Aquavision |
2006 | Travellin' Light | H&H Music |
2006 | Welcome to My World | H&H Music |
2006 | Monster Country | H&H Music |
2006 | Steve Travis Songs That Won the War | H&H Music |
2010 | Fragment of Desire | Blue Water Music |
2010 | Shanties and Other Songs of the Sea | H&H Music |
2010 | Sea Shanties and Pirate Songs | H&H Music |
Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup changed frequently during its first decade, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John Stirratt remaining from the original incarnation. Since early 2004, the lineup has been unchanged, consisting of Tweedy, Stirratt, guitarist Nels Cline, multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone, keyboard player Mikael Jorgensen, and drummer Glenn Kotche. Wilco has released twelve studio albums, a live double album, and four collaborations: three with Billy Bragg and one with the Minus 5.
Randy Bruce Traywick, known professionally as Randy Travis, is an American country music and gospel music singer. Active from 1978 until being incapacitated by a stroke in 2013, he has recorded 20 studio albums and charted more than 50 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including 16 that reached the No. 1 position. Considered a pivotal figure in the history of country music, Travis broke through in the mid-1980s with the release of his album Storms of Life, which sold more than four million copies. The album established him as a major force in the neotraditional country movement. Travis followed up his successful debut with a string of platinum and multi-platinum albums. He is known for his distinctive baritone vocals, delivered in a traditional style that has made him a country music star since the 1980s.
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A sea shanty, chantey, or chanty is a genre of traditional folk song that was once commonly sung as a work song to accompany rhythmical labor aboard large merchant sailing vessels. The term shanty most accurately refers to a specific style of work song belonging to this historical repertoire. However, in recent, popular usage, the scope of its definition is sometimes expanded to admit a wider range of repertoire and characteristics, or to refer to a "maritime work song" in general.
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Martin Newell is an English singer–songwriter, poet, columnist and author who leads the Cleaners from Venus, a guitar pop band with jangly, upbeat arrangements. He is also regarded as a significant figure in the history of cassette culture and DIY music.
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James Travis Tritt is an American country singer. He signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1989, releasing seven studio albums and a greatest hits package for the label between then and 1999. In the 2000s, he released three studio albums on Columbia Records and one for the now-defunct Category 5 Records. Seven of his albums are certified platinum or higher by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA); the highest-certified is 1991's It's All About to Change, which is certified triple-platinum. Tritt has also charted more than 40 times on the Hot Country Songs charts, including five number ones—"Help Me Hold On", "Anymore", "Can I Trust You with My Heart", "Foolish Pride", and "Best of Intentions"—and 15 additional top ten singles. Tritt's musical style is defined by mainstream country and Southern rock influences.
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