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Biographie
Copyright
by Astrid Beukeboom!
Born:
Steve Schneider, Brooklyn, May 5th 1959
Parents: Ruth & Edward Schneider
Brother: Eric
Ex-wife: Marlene
Girlfriend: Josie Pearl
Schools:
Public School 104 in Far Rockaway
Junior High School 180 in Rockaway Beach
High School of the Performing Arts (didn't
finish)
His father bought himself a guitar when Steve
was about 7 & Steve says he was drawn
immediately to it. He found he had a natural
aptitude for it & would practice sometimes
for 4 or 5 hours every day.
He attended a music day camp for 3 summers at
The Usdan Center For the Arts. Steve says he
loved this place & he soon discovered his
love for Flamenco guitar. One of his first
guitar teachers was a flamenco guitarist. Whilst
he was at the Performing Arts School, one of the
students was Mario Escodero Jr. and his father
Sr., was the guitarist for the Jose Greco Dance
Company.
Around this time Steve became aware of Paco De
Lucia & was also a John McLaughlin fan &
his love of the nylon string grew.
Steve grew up in New York & in his
neighbourhood, Rockaway Beach, nearly everyone
played guitar.
Steve recalls many happy memories of warm
carefree evenings, sitting on the beach with his
pals, jamming into the night & whilst still
only a teenager he was playing live in just
about every club in Long Island & the outer
boroughs of New York.
He played a number of times with Twisted Sister
on this circuit. across New York up to four
times a week.
1979
Steve played in a band called One Hand
Clap & it was here that he hooked up with
Ray Melnik.
They played Long Island clubs almost six nights
a week for about a year and gained quite a
following.
Steve eventually moved on to join the Fine
Malibus in New York City.
The Fine Malibus all lived and rehearsed in a
3000 square foot loft on west 30th street.
There were band members, girlfriends and road
crew.
Here Steve was forever wiring his gadgets, sound
boards and effects units, playing different
sounds into the pickups of his guitar and wiring
unusual lights and things to his effects board.
They played clubs all across Long Island.
They caught the attention of Jimmy Miller who
originally produced some of the first Rolling
Stones albums and he arranged for them to record
an album at Nassau, Bahamas - Compass Point
studios, which was funded by Chris Blackwell of
Island Records.
1981
They spent 2 months there and even played a
local club at night.
They wrote & recorded an album of the same
name with Island Records but it was never
released.
Steve began to feel restless & decided to
move on.
He started placing ads in the Village Voice
looking for other musicians.
1981
Bill Aucoin introduced Steve and Billy Idol to
each other
Steve initially agreed to help Billy find a band
& help with the auditions.
Steve says he never had an audition himself, it
just kind of ‘happened’ & ‘assumed’
that he would fill the guitarists slot.
1982
Release of the self titled Billy Idol album
Steve recalls how the songs came together using
their individual experiences & talents. Some
of the songs were written in the basement
of Steve’s parents home; Billy would come
around with some lyrics & Steve would work
some loops & grooves around them & the
combined magic very quickly culminated into the
legendry songs still played & loved across
the world today.
1983
Release of the second Billy Idol album
"Rebel Yell", followed by a 2 year
world wide tour.
1986
Release of the third Billy Idol album
"Whiplash Smile".
Whiplash Smile took a while to produce. Steve is
quoted as saying he was not totally happy with
the new direction the album was taking, in
particular the use of the electronics, (a drum
machine & synthesisers) leaving no
requirement for other musicians. Steve said he
felt this affected the overall feel of the
material, preferring to have other live
musicians to work off.
None the less Whiplash was released in 1986
& quickly went double platinum.
During this time Steve was offered a contract
with Warner Brothers & decided he would like
to take the opportunity to work on some solo
material.
1987
Grammy for "Top Gun Anthem" (with
Harold Faltermeyer)
in the category
'Beste Instrumentaldarbietung - Pop (Best Pop
Instrumental Performance, Orchestra, Group Or
Soloist)'
1989
Release "Atomic Playboys" &
American tour.
Steve went on to work with many artists on many
different types of projects.
(See Discography page for complete listings)
He recorded & performed with the Japanese
artist Kyosuke Himuro & wrote, recorded
& toured extensively with Vince Neil.
1994
Moved to Los Angeles
He has spent several years building his own home
studio (The Purple Room) at his luxury
apartment.
[yes people, that's were I stole my site's name
from!]
1999
Release of "Flamenco A Go Go"
1999 - 2002
Back with Billy Idol doing a series of tours
across America & Australia.
It included a live Storytellers show & a
feature in the Billy Idol: Behind the Music
production, both for VH1
2001
15
June - 22 September: Billy Idol Tour
16 October - 30 December: The
Beat Haze Odyssey Tour across Japan with the
Japanese artist Kyosuki Himuro
2002
20
July - 7 September : Billy
Idol Tour
26 - 31 December: Billy Idol
3 gigs
2003
24
August - 10 October: Billy
Idol Tour
2004
10
- 17 September : Billy
Idol 4 gigs
2005
Release "Devil's Playground"
Tour 14 March - 8 December, including Europe for
the first time since the early 80's.
2006
The Billy Idol band is working on a new album
& touring again.
6
March: 1 gig in Las Vegas
1 - 23 July: European Tour
28 July - 19 August: US Tour
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