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Steve Balsamo | |
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| Born | (1971-05-19)19 May 1971 (age 53) Wales |
| Origin | Wales |
| Genres | Folk rock,pop |
| Occupation(s) | Musician,songwriter, stage actor |
| Instrument(s) | vocals, guitar, piano |
| Website | www |
Steve Balsamo is a Welsh singer and songwriter, best known for playing the lead role in theWest End revival productions ofJesus Christ Superstar during the mid-1990s. He performs as a member of several bands and is also a successful songwriter. He is also onEric Woolfson's sixth solo album,Poe: More Tales of Mystery and Imagination in 2003, on which he provides the vocals for eight songs.
Steve Balsamo was born inSwansea, his father being a chef fromVenice and his motherWelsh. He attended Dynevor School in the heart of the city and, while there, he was dismissed from the choir, being told he could not sing.[1] He channelled his creative leanings into art and attended art school to specialise inpainting. At the age of 17, he resumed singing and songwriting, forming several bands which toured pubs and clubs performing renditions of classic rock songs.
He had jobs that included a stint as a piano remover and working atPort Talbot steelworks—in between bouts onthe dole—taken to support himself while gigging. He secured a place atBristol University to study Graphic Art, but turned it down to accept a place at a local music college, where he played the role ofJesus in a production ofJesus Christ Superstar, a role that he reprised as an adult. In the meantime, he taught himself to playguitar and continued to write songs.
Around this time, Balsamo attended a workshop inCardiff run byThe Prince's Trust for unemployed musicians. He was asked to open The Prince's Trust Masters of Music Concert atHyde Park in 1996,[1] in front of a 150,000 crowd.
After a friend mentioned to Steve thatAndrew Lloyd Webber was looking for a performer to play the part of Jesus, the role he played in college, Balsamo seized the opportunity to showcase his 3½ octave range voice, determined to get the part. Despite his lack of West End experience, he won the role of Jesus from the thousands who auditioned, leading to a memorable headline: "The Son of God is Welsh". On one television performance from the show he not only hadAndrew Lloyd Webber weeping, but also managed to sell £160,000 worth of tickets to the show in half an hour.[2] He won a Variety Club award for the role in 1997.
Balsamo signed toColumbia Records and started writing and recording his first album,All I Am, which was released in September 2002. The debut single from the album, "Sugar for the Soul" entered the UK Top 40, and was a frequently-requested favourite on The Box music channel and led to aTOTP2 appearance. The second single from the album, "All I Am is You", wasKen Bruce's single of the week onRadio 2.
Balsamo returned to the stage in the French musical "Notre Dame de Paris". He then worked onPoe: More Tales of Mystery and Imagination, a new musical and an album byAlan Parsons Project writerEric Woolfson, based on the life of poetEdgar Allan Poe. It premiered at Abbey Road Studios in 2003.[3]
Balsamo co-wrote theFrench entry for theEurovision Song Contest 2004, which finished 15th.[4]
In 2004, Balsamo formedThe Storys, a West Coast influenced country rock band consisting of Andy Collins (bass/vocals/songwriting), Dai Smith (guitar/vocals/songwriting), Alan Thomas (keyboards), Brian Thomas (drums/percussion) and Rob Thompson (guitar/vocals/songwriting). Dai Smith left in 2008 and was replaced byRosalie Deighton.
Balsamo, along with Storys bandmate Rob Thompson and Rob Reed of prog rock band Magenta, also worked on a progrock project called ChimpanA. With Rob Thompson and Andy Collins of The Storys he released an EP under the name of Oystermouth, "Five Songs For Jen".
Balsamo is a prolific songwriter and has had hits in Europe and Australia with artists such asMeat Loaf,Anthony Callea,Jonatan Cerrada, andSlash ofGuns N' Roses.[5][6][7]
He toured with the lateJon Lord and had been writing and recording with him before Lord's death. Recently he has been writing songs with folk singerRosalie Deighton for a duet project called Balsamo Deighton,°[8] who performed in Swansea, Wales in 2013 in tribute to fellow WelshmanPete Ham.
Venue: Abbey Road Studios, London (6 to 8 November 2003)
Venue:Dominion Theatre, London (May to October 2000)
Venue: Lyceum Theatre, London (November 1996 to September 1997)
Venue: The Point, Dublin and Edinburgh Playhouse (1993)
Albums:
Extended Plays:
Singles:
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