Seasick Steve sings Save Me on the One-Stringed Diddly-Bow in the Night and Day café in Manchester, Friday 13th April 2007.
Seasick Steve singing Cut My Wings from his album Dog House Blues, live at the Thekla Social in Bristol on the 17th of April 2007.
When Seasick Steve was four years old, his parents split up. An old man from Mississippi, called KC Douglas, who wrote the song Mercury Blues and used to play with Tommy Johnson, taught him to play guitar at age 8. He left home at 13, and spent many years living on the streets in the States. He used to travel long distances by hopping freights as a hobo.
Before becoming a professional musician, he went through several jobs, including being a carnie, cowboy and a migrant worker. In the sixties he started touring and performing with fellow blues musicians, and in the nineties he worked as a recording engineer and producer.
He travelled extensively, living in 56 different houses in the 25 years of marriage with his Norwegian wife. Recently, he has stayed in Norway, after a recent heart attack made him consider staying in one place.
After moving to Norway, Steve came out with his first album, entitled “Cheap”, recorded with a Swedish band called The Level Devils as his rhythm section. His debut solo album, “Dog House Music” was released by Bronzerat on 26 November 2006
His first UK television appearance was on Jools Holland’s ‘Annual Hootenanny’ BBC TV show (Broadcast on New Year’s Eve 2006) where he performed a live rendition of “Dog House Boogie” on the ‘Three Stringed, Tranz Wonder’ and ‘The Mississippi Drum Machine’. After that show his popularity suddenly boomed, as he explained in an interview:
“I can’t believe it, all of the sudden I’m like the cat’s miaow!”
He has been well received in the U.K, winning the MOJO Award for Best Breakthrough Act. In 2007 he was invited to a number of large UK festivals, which resulted in him playing the most UK festivals out of any band in that year.
Steve toured early in 2008, playing in a number of venues in the UK. He was joined by a drummer on stage, Dan Magnusson, who formerly played with his backing band, the Level Devils. KT Tunstall also dueted with Steve at one concert.
Sometimes one shot is enough.
Seasick Steve – Salem Blues
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