First (the MAIN Thing): We are here for a Greater purpose than ourselves. Please take your eyes off yourself and go help someone else. The things you thought were problems will disappear. The real problems in life are the ones that money cannot solve. Life is fleeting and our days are truly numbered. Make the most out of each day. Help others and you will be blessed. Give with a generous heart. Do things daily that will make a difference and that will have eternal significance. Money, status, titles, looks, things will burn and wither away (look and act beyond these things). Remember, it's easy to get sucked into these these things, since it's a constant advertisement playing out in your supercomputer (mind). Get control of your mind; don't let commercials, music videos, the media or any negative external source try to get you to trade your time/life for it and.. brainwash you into thinking that life is all about getting stuff, climbing some ladder, partying all the time and going to clubs every night just to impress others and be seen (ultimately, it's not about us). There's nothing wrong with going out (just don't make it your life's purpose/lifestyle). ............................................................
........
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***Infl
uences/Direction:~~~ Combine all of those timeless classic sounds, progressions & overall favorite music moments that people have so deeply sown into their lives and then apply that to a modern day singer/songwriter approach. The lyrics contain positive messages and many of my own experiences to share with others. *** The music came together in stages. (Note: There's too much negative junk in most rock lyrics today, so I felt a need to to hopefully make a difference with the lyrics). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
***First stage :~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~1986- 1991:
..Achieved Eagle Scout Award (Boy Scouts of America) as a youth in scouts.
..College (USC Film School) studied business, filmmaking, video production
..Interned at local television stations and worked on a few student films
..Played Fender Stratocasters through Marshall Amplifiers and Takamine Electric/Acoustic guitars (still do amongst others)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~1990 - 1992:
..Received degrees in both Business Admin and Media Arts (film/video)
..Worked on a few indy films and continued work in tv production~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~1991
- 1993:
..Lead singer for the band, Present Tense
..Played at local clubs in SC (Rockafella's, Greenstreets, Elbow Room, etc.. around the same time as Hootie, Edwin McCain & others
..Sat in with other friend's bands on guitar and/or vocals & sang on stage (at Greenstreets) with the Rembrandts for their song, "Just The Way It Is, Baby"
..Filmed/edited concerts and music videos for my brother's bands, Cosmic Machine and Voodoo Chili (who opened for such artists as Grammy award winning guitar virtuoso and legend, Eric Johnson; see top friends list)
..Worked on a few feature films (for Pegasus/Disney, MGM and WB) while working in television production~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~199
4- 1996:
..Ran sound/sat in with bands (at the Elbow Room, USC's Cockpit, etc.)
..Worked on a few feature films while working in television production***Second stage: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~1997- 1999:
..Started writing original material
..Recorded rough demos in the mid to late 90's (with Audio Engineer: Jon Crites, drummer: Jason Pruitt, bassist: Danny Hutto and keyboardist: Mason Barrett) as The Reid Stevens Group
..Played a few gigs around SC in 1997-mid-'98
..Added a new bass player, Brian Mitchell in mid-1998, to form a new group called Baby Fishmouth
..Recorded a 4 song demo in the summer of 1999 (w/ early versions of "Flying", "30 Miles Home", "Wait" & "Fooled By You"). These songs later appear on the Discovery CD (in a more updated form)
..Recorded an 8 song demo/cd project in late '98 (with another version of "Flying" that included an intro song "In This Life") with singer/rhythm guitarist, Will Starnes (a friend from Texas) for a project called Railroad Bill. He contributed the other 6 originals (resembles early Collective Soul, STP & Tonic). Played rhythm, lead guitars & contributed vocals for the project.
***Third stage:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~1999- 2000:
..Extended my base to include the Atlanta area.
..Recorded 2 demos (one in SC and the other in Atlanta).
..Wrote and rehearsed more original material.
..Shopped 2 demos around to labels~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~2001:
..Met Banister Murray (Audio Engineer), Reni Rivera (Powerplay drummer), Paul Berger (Lifeline bassist) & Alex Filacchione (Brain 21 guitarist).
..Rehearsed music with this lineup and arranged songs for studio prep.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~2002:
..Rehearsed, played music live & recorded the "Discovery" CD in Atlanta
..Met Brian Turner (former lead guitarist for The Pennies)
..We co-wrote several songs (Discovery & New Day Begun cds). Other collaborations will be released on future albums such as, "Homebound"~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~200
3:
..Rodney Mills (Pearl Jam, Allman Bros., STP, Sheryl Crow, etc...) Mastered the Discovery CD & it was released independently in July of 2003.
..Promoted Discovery CD and showcased material live at various concerts~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~2004:
..Recorded most of "New Day Begun" CD (2nd album), however Hurricane caused the loss of the entire recording (February through August).
..Networked) with a ton of record industry people/musicians including but not limited to Steve Morse (Dixie Dregs, Kansas, Deep Purple), Kerry Livgren (A.D., Kansas), Kenny Wayne Shepherd & his band, Stevie Ray Vaughn's rhythm section Double Trouble, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (Doobie Bros/Steely Dan), Kings' X, Tonic, Jim Marshall (Marshall Amps founder), Steve Vai, Ernie Isley (Isley Bros.), Peter Stroud (guitarist for Sheryl Crow & Don Henley), Train, Doc McGhee (Mgr. for Kiss, Blues Traveller, Hootie and Supergroup)
..Played shows and attended industry functions such as NAMM (in Nashville), NARAS and ASCAP meetings (in Atlanta).~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~2005:
..Re-recorded 2nd CD (New Day Begun -- March through November)
..Auditioned for lead vocalist of INXS (April)
..Open Mic Atlanta Artist of the month twice (March & April)
..Showcased concerts for Open Mic Atlanta (April and May)
..Played two days at Atlanta's Music Midtown Festival (June 11 & 12
..Rodney Mills Mastered New Day Begun CD in early December
..CD release parties in December for New Day Begun~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2006:
..Appeared on first 2 episodes of Independent Music Review (UPN Atlanta). ..Auditioned for Rockstar: (Supernova) in Atlanta at the Velvet Underground at The Hard Rock Cafe (March 6 & March 7)
..Received Radio Airplay for the song, "Dream" from New Day Begun
.. DaveFM 92.9 began playing it on their New Music Seminar (5/31/06)
..Showcased new material and songs from Discovery throughout the Southeastern US~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~2007:
..Recorded Goldenlight from March through August '07
(CD released Oct. 30) and recorded 2 hour concert (DVD release due in mid 08)
..Taped a television appearance (2 song performance and interview) on November 7. Performed at the Variety Playhouse in December 2007.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2008:
..Wrote new material for an upcoming CD, "Hopes & Dreams" (late 2008).
..Continuing to write music for television programs, film projects and future releases.
..CDs available soon on Amazon, ITunes!, CD Baby & concertsCome to the shows and help support local/ indy music.
It will be great to meet you!!! --RS
------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------Discography: ---------------------------------------------------------
-------- Releases: ------------------------------------------------------------
------
..Flying (2000) --- (4 song demo) --- 33 1/3 Records -------------------------
..In This Life (2001) --- (4 song demo) --- 33 1/3 Records -------------------
..Discovery (2003) --- (14 tracks) ---33 1/3 Records -------------------------
..New Day Begun (2005) --- (14 tracks) --- 33 1/3 Records ------------------
..Goldenlight (2007) --- (14 tracks) --- 33 1/3 Records --------------------
--Hopes & Dreams (late 2008) --- (14 tracks) --- 33 1/3 Records-----------------
Other CD Releases: ------------------------------------------------------------
---
..Baby Fishmouth (1998) (4 song demo) --- 33 1/3 Records ------------------
..Railroad Bill (1999) (8 song demo) --- 33 1/3 Records -----------------------..Homebound (2002) --- (11 tracks) co-written w/ Brian Turner ------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
DVD Releases: ------------------------------------------------------------
-------
..Live in Atlanta (coming in late 2008) --- 33 1/3 Records -----------------------
contains unseen videos, concert footage from Music Midtown Festival (2005),
various concert footage around Atlanta, studio session footage,
interviews with Reid, other musicians who performed on the cd, audio engineers, Rodney Mills (who Mastered the Discovery and New Day Begun CDs as well as other surprise footage and other bonus material. ------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
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