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Steve Carlyle
Steve Carlyle "Biography" "The Man And His Music"
Rockford, Illinois 61101
E-Mail: Genesis440@hotmail.com
February 8, 2005
Steve Carlyle was born in Rockford Illinois, August 15th 1955 to Russell A. Petrie and Virginia M. Petrie. His father worked as a Mechanical Engineer at Woodward Governor. Mrs. Petrie worked as a full time Home maker. Growing up as a child Steven's talents were recognized at an early age. In fact, as early as five years old. His teachers realized that this small boy had a beautiful little voice, and was encouraged to sing in the school choir. His mother used to love to hear him sing, and knowing it pleased her so much, he would sing literally all the time. In the year 1966 Steven's mother past away, she was only forty-five years old. To say the very least, this was a turning point in his little life, that had some major impacts on him emotionally. His father Mr. Petrie traveled a lot of the time while Steven was growing up. This caused the bond between his mother and him to even be greater. While at the same time, the bond between his father and himself was all but hanging by a thread, a very delicate one at that ! Steven began writing poetry in 6th grade, spending many hours after he would get home from school writing and writing.! By the time Steven turned fourteen he got his very first guitar, He began writing music nearly immediately. With the tools he had been God given, he actually began composing complete songs. They weren't just songs, but rather stories that had been trapped inside since the time his mother passed away. Steven's biggest influences were the Beatles. He would spend hours figuring out how to play the songs he had grown to love and with much success !. Steven had come from a line of singers and song writers on his fathers side of the family. Genes have a funny way of getting passed on. Tommy James of the former Band Tommy James and The Shondel's was a second cousin on Steven's father's side. No doubt that the gift was certainly passed on. Then in 1974 Steven entered the US Navy and was stationed in San Diego, California. This provided him the opportunity to meet some new musicians. Latter that same year he was transferred to Portland, Oregon and from that time on his musical journey began ! While still living in Portland Steven met up with a local musician Chas Bergman, a multi-talented music man. Chas could play acoustic guitar, bass, Congos and Recorder. The two spent hours practicing and playing out at many different coffee houses and taverns. In the year of 1976 Steven and Chas met up with a girl named Lynn Gotlieb. This girl had a voice like an angel. They rehearsed for a couple of weeks. Then Steven decided it was time to go into the recording studio for the first time in any of their lives ! Steven booked recording time at a small local recording studio called,Tomb Stone Recording Studio. It was to be a night that the three would never forget the rest of their lives ! All of the songs were written by Steven Carlyle. Steven sang lead vocals and played acoustic guitars Chas Bergman played acoustic guitars, bass, Congos and Recorder. Lynn Gotlieb sang all the back vocals, and were they ever beautiful! That recording session lasted from 6:30 pm until 3:00 am the next morning. When the hard work had been done, they all sat back in the control booth and listened to what the three of them had created ! It was amazing ! A mixture of folk,, soft rock and jazz. The recording engineer complimented them on the beautiful job. He remarked that it was an honor to be the one to engineer the session! Eleven songs had been finished in a single night. Steven's life had been plagued with many hard falls, failed marriages, and the next thirty years of drug abuse. IN THE YEAR after a major drug bust Steve ended up having a nervous break down and wound up in the hospital, after a failed attempted suicide. Thats where the true miraculous change came in. While Steve's three day stay in the hospital, a man showed up practicly out of nowhere, he asked to see Steve, He said that he was Steve's Pastor, Humm.. Steve didn't have a Pastor. Steve's curiosity was sparked now, Just who is this man whom says he's my pastor. Well to make a Miracle short that morning Steve recieved the Lord into his life. Steve was saved and for quite some time Steve was flying straight, But not for long ! Steve was right back into the Drug world!. Now knowing this, the story carries on. Music always found its way out ! The inner expression, a manifestation of words and music all tied together with the music of a destined child. Loss of family after family generated groves of music. Steven returned home after the service where he met up with a local musician song writer whose home was Scotland, John Brandon. These two became good friends. Then in 1977 the two of them went into a local recording studio called Audio Trak Recording Studio to record a new song Steven had written shortly after returning home from the service. Steven played acoustic guitars and lead vocals, back vocals. John Brandon played Piano and Bass. A friend of Johns played flute. It turned out exquisite. The song was Yesterdays Dreams without a doubt influenced by Stevens past losses. Steven began playing for local charities in the Rockford area. He played for The Mill, Kewanies Tinker Cottage Benefit. In 1983 Steve played at the Beatie IS out door benefit. A local public television station Channel 10 had called Steve and asked if they could record his whole performance at the benefit. Of course the answer was yes ! It was aired a few months latter. Then the following spring Channel 10 called again asking if Steve would come down to the station for a live inter view. It was to be called The Man And His Music inserts from the live performance at Beatie Is were used as a back drop for the interview. After that Steve joined a local organization called Rock River Friends Of Folk Music, at one of the performances at Charlottes Web located in Rockford. Steve had the opportunity to meet a fellow song writer named Sam Shaffer. The first time each of them heard the other perform, they both said almost the same things to their wives ! That guy is Great ! Shortly after their meeting Steve and Sam decided to put on a free concert at the Sinissippi Out Door Band Shell. This took place in August of 1983. It was one beautiful night in the park. In fact, the Rockford Park District was so impressed from the turn out ,they give the two PRIOR Approval to hold another out door concert any time they chose. I believe the two put on one more concert. Then in 1987 Steve just put the music aside.. To many drug problems. He couldnt even write. Then in 1995 Steve moved to the state of Virginia, he felt a new area might allow him the opportunity he needed to put the drugs down and maybe, just maybe he'd be able to get back into his music again. Well the move proved to be a success ! But it still took some time, but finally he came clean . Steve started his own little recording studio at home
the change went from recording on cassettes to 8-track mini-disks. The beauty of new technology. His writing became prolific! It was not long until Steve had written, recorded, and displayed his music on Mp3.com. In the first month his music site was up and running, He became the featured artist for the month of October 1998. In the next six months over 12,000 down loads of his music had been achieved ! It made him a little money, but it never was about the money, it was about the music ! During the time of his recording for the CD entitled Working Man's Blues Steve's father passed away ! Another loss ! Steve and his father were never close, to be honest, as far apart as any two could be. There were a lot of ill feelings between the two. Steve had to find the strength to cope with this loss. He wrote a song entitled Our Last Farewell, it was an instrumental , Steve could not begin to put into words all of the broken emotions, instead the music did it ! Now in 2000 again Steve hit the rocks hard, meaning his life was once more going to take a great fall. Steve lost his long time girl friend and little girl Ashely, also they had another little girl on the way. Again ! Steve crumbled to his emotional knees ! Loss after loss when would it end !! Now he went nearly five years before beginning to write and record his music again, the year 2005. Now in the last year and a half Steve became a practicing saved Christian ! Though he still was dealing with the losses of his family, Steve has still remained clean from all illicit drugs, if that is not a miracle in it self I dont know what is. The songs are coming together nicely for his first new CD in six years. The title for the CD is "The New Beginning" a Christian based and motivated music project. I do believe in miracles , Steve still being alive and writing new music is the testimony. He now has a new recording studio at home called Genesis Recording Studio and I believe the spirit of GOD will lead him to what ever destiny that GOD has intended for his service. Steve has one quote from John Lennon he always like to speak "Life Is What Happens To You, While Your Busy Making Other Plans" end quote. Just love each other as Jesus first loved us. The rest will find it's own way, May God Bless and keep you all. The new CD should be finished in the later part of this year ! An inspiration to all who have fallen short of GOD's Glory ! Sincerely, Steve Carlyle
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Steve Carlyle
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