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Out of Summit County, singer/songwriter "Westside" Steve Simmons has been wandering the northern half of Ohio for twenty years doing his act and finally released his first full-length disc, the 12 song "Windward Crossing." A couple weeks ago, OhioOnline music correspondent Peanuts bounced some questions off him about Simmons' musical travels and the answers are as you see them, minus the tales of damages done at any given "Westside" Steve Put-In-Bay gigs. |
| OO: |
When did music get your attention? |
| SS: |
"I just saw my 'baby book' and it turns out I knew all the words to Davy Crockett when I was a little more than a baby. As a kid, I sang all the time and it seemed to amuse everybody. The first album I bought was Ricky Nelson. Of course, when I saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, I was hooked. In the eighth grade, my best friend Gary Frey and myself started a little band, when I lived in Carrollton. It was called Magic Tyne and I played Farfisa organ." |
| OO: |
Are you an Ohio native? |
| SS: |
"I was born in Canton and spend some years in Carrollton. My family lived in and out of the state, but I went to Norton High and the University of Akron." |
| OO: |
Any known bands before this? |
| SS: |
"I was in a band called the Rats that evolved into Easy Street. We were one of the best known bands of Cleveland's 'golden era' of local rock in the 1970's. After the raising of the drinking age to 21, the local rock and roll community suffered. We ended up a tour in 1988 in Hanover, Ontario, Canada and that was it for the band except our occasional reunion shows." |
| OO: |
What national artists have influenced your songwriting? |
| SS: |
"Many of them. If I had to pick one, it might be Elvis Costello, since he does so many different kinds of music. I like to write to many styles.
To name six more: Bruce Springsteen, Stan Rogers, Asia, Johnny Mercer, Procol Harum and Tommy Makem." |
| OO: |
How eclectic is your music then? |
| SS: |
"I'm not one of those guys who thinks he's created an entire new genre, but, as you can see from some of my influences, it changes around. Hopefully, I can pull that off as a singer/songwriter. I mostly love to write and sing thoughtful romantic ballads, tear jerkers and emotional laments." |
| OO: |
What national act would you split a bill with? |
| SS: |
"Hard to say. It may be one of the newer singer/songwriters.
Then again, a lot of national performers don't want a similar kind of act on the bill." |
| OO: |
Anyone from Ohio you'd like to mention? |
| SS: |
"These days, I'd play a bill with some of the local Put In Bay performers, like Pat Dailey, for instance. Once Mike 'Mad Dog' Adams and I talked about maybe doing a quick act and going to Europe for awhile, but never pulled the trigger on that idea." |
| OO: |
Is this your first release? |
| SS: |
Solo, yes although I was on the two Easy Street releases." |
| OO: |
Where was the disc cut? |
| SS: |
"In my home studio. There isn't any pressure to get a track done quickly. I'm rarely happy with takes that I feel have been rushed. One drawback to doing it myself is that if somebody doesn't like it, there's nobody to blame but me." |
| OO: |
Final thoughts? |
| SS: |
"Well, in general, I'm pretty happy with my life, even if I write melancholy songs. It makes me happy when someone hears one of my songs and tells me how it touched them. I can't image retiring willingly, so when my time comes, I hope I'm on stage." |
