User:Steve White - One Man Band/sandbox

Steve White was an American original singer- songwriter, guitarist, harmonica player, foot percussionist, painter and one man band.He was born in Brooklyn, NY on March, 14 1950. Because his father worked for the State Department, he spent his youth mostly in Southeast Asia and mainly in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. His mother was a teacher and actress and performed in theaters in New England. Born into a musical family, Steve's father played Ukulele, his Uncle Bill was a troubadour guitarist who performed in the States and in Europe. His older brother Ralph White played the guitar which Steve picked up and started playing when Ralph went to school in the Philippines. He won a talent contest in Vientiane, Laos at the age of 14. Thanks to Bob Dylan, Steve learned to play both the guitar and harmonica at the same time in his teens. Steve's early influences in music emanated from "The Kingston Trio" "Leadbelly", "Willie Dixon" to name a few.

When Steve returned from overseas at the age of 17, he studied painting at the Philadelphia School of Art and in Nova Scotia, Canada. Steve painted his entire life. His mediums were oil, pastels, and pen and ink. Painting for him was very private and a meditation aside from his music. During his life he worked many odd jobs like construction, flower sales, changing marquis lights in casinos, recycling man to name a few. During these times he was continually writing songs. Steve said, "I didn't need a radio because I had all these songs going on in my head". While in Nova Scotia Steve was invited to play with a band that later became "Pegasus". Coming back from Canada he moved to California where Steve decided to pursue a one-man band scenario. He wrote "Picker in a Promised Land" a humorous look about the failed dreams of a musician in Southern California.