Stephen Winter

Hey there! I'm Stephen and I'm a musician currently living in Little Rock, Arkansas, which is quite a change from London, England, where I was born and raised. Been performing music in all sorts of capacities, for over 25 years, since getting up the nerve to do a free one hour set at local hippie coffee house in Columbia, Missouri, where I attended college. From the moment I heard Paul McCartney sing/play piano, I wanted to be a piano player. From the moment I saw Billy Joel in concert on his '52nd Street Tour' (those keeping score, that was 19freaking79), I knew I wanted to be a piano player/singer/performer. From the moment I got turned on to the virtuoso keyboard sounds of YES/Rick Wakeman and GENESIS/Tony Banks, I knew I wanted to be a keyboardist. When I listened to the lush guitar stylings of PINK FLOYD/David Gilmour, RUSH/Alex Lifeson, GENESIS/Steve Hackett, and more recent, MARILLION/Steve Rothery, I knew right then and there that I was a frustrated guitarist in a keyboard player's body. Until recently, had been performing full-time as a Dueling Pianist all over the country and solo/duo gigs all over the world. LittleRock/Willy D's had been my last gig here, until persistent vocal cord polyp related problems forced me to walk away from that line of full time vocal acrobatics. What to do? Thank goodness, my hands work: Currently playing keyboards/singing background vocals for THE BIG JOHN MILLER BAND, one of the top bands in the area by far, w/a set list of classic '60s/'70's R&B, Motown, Stax, and Blues. Been a life saver for me and a true joy to get back to being a keyboard player again....a gig I hadn't done since late '80's/early '90's, when I was on the road w/Top 40 bands. Have also been keyboardist/pianist on latest Salty Dog and Joe Pitts CD's, as well as occasional jingles. Like to personally thank Mike Nelson for the studio time on the latter. Currently @ Ernie Biggs and other piano bars around the US occasionally, when cords are deemed fit. Can also be seen sittin' in with w/Brian Nahlen, Nick Devlin, Richie Johnson, Rob and Tyndall/Mojo Depot, Typhoid Mary (I have a crush on the singer) The Salty Dogs, and the Greasy Greens. Loves of my life are my Border Collie, Tweakie, and my cat Zoe.