THE METEORIC RISE OF PERRY STEVENS
The ever so talented Perry Stevens is not just an artist. He
is a person with a unique background story and someone
who has been passionate about making great music for
decades now.
Perry Stevens is a singer
and songwriter with a
very rich musical history and a fascinating
background. He is a true veteran
of the music scene, and he has
been in the game for quite some
time. However, he recently came
back after quite a few years, and
he has been releasing a string of
well-received songs inspired by
the sounds of yesteryear but with
a more modern vibe as well. He
had his start in the
60s and went on to
become a professional night club singer
in the 70s. However,
he decided to take a
step back and focus
on his family. As
you all might know,
working as a professional musician
might often require
some extensive
touring and a lot of
traveling.
This means
that Perry would
have had to leave
his family behind,
and he didn’t feel
like leaving his wife
alone. He made the
choice to be- come
a family man, but he
never lost sight of his passion for
music. Fast forward to to- day, and
Perry is back in the game, giving
his best performances ever and,
more importantly, capturing a
new generation of fans. In particular, he has inspired many younger
listeners, craving that old-school
sound and that nostalgic retro feel,
inspired by the best vintage rock
and Americana. Perry is back on
the scene with yet another brand
new release: “Sunrise Blues.”
This song is particularly amazing,
because it has a perfect combination of exciting hooks, beautiful
sonic aesthetics and a great arrangement. The song begins with
a melodic introduction, allowing
the mood to set in. Soon after,
the verses fall in, establishing
the song’s structure and dynamic
energy. During the choruses, this
is exactly when the song reaches
its emotional and intensity apex.
Perry’s vocals are as intense and passionate as ever, showcasing his deep
penchant for an authentic storyteller act,
and sending positive vibes to the audience.
Perry focuses on creating edgy songs, with
a love for different influences. His most
re- cent studio release, Sunrise Blues, is
a combination of country, Americana, and
even rock, making for a unique and highly
rewarding combination of styles that keep
the attention span of the listener high. His
most recent single release is a beautiful
track titled “Soldier’s Story.” With every
new song, it seems that this artist is setting
the bar higher in terms of performance and production alike.
Perry spoiled us once again with
his charming and beautiful retro
arrangements, but this time he
has developed and even more
defined tone.
The topic of this
song is emotionally powerful.
In fact, it is the story of a soldier, and it does not just follow
a character, but also gives the
audience a perspective on some
of the harsh realities of war and
all of the effects that it can have
on individuals on either side of
the conflict. After all, we are
all humans, and it doesn’t matter which side we fight for, we
all feel the same emotions and
traumas in relation to being at
war. The song begins with some
soundbites taking the listener to
a war zone, and the song soon
morphs into a touching, darker ballad with
a strong set of lyrics. The song reflects on
the ugliness of war, but it also shows the
human side of it: people being afraid, as
well as pondering on the experiences that
they are forced to face on the reality of
the battlefield. One of the most amazing
aspects of Perry’s creative vision is definitely the fact that he uses his songs to
tell powerful stories, and share something
that’s truly amazing with his audience. I
think this is actually one of the reasons
why his music is in countering such positive feedback and such success even with
younger listeners.
In other words, today’s
music can be a little bit shallow, and it
might lack substance. There are not many
songs that have an actual storyline or characters that you can relate to as well as a
deeper meaning to connect with. By contrast, but really stands out about Perry’s
music is most definitely the fact that he
puts a lot of thought into creating something that will entice and engage listeners.
His music is excellent in terms of production, but also in terms of lyrics writing.
This is definitely the case with this particular single as well because everything
is extremely well-produced, and there are
so many incredible details making the
song really special. Perry’s music feels
kind of timeless.
He has learned valuable
lessons from some of the best songwriters in the whole world, including Bob
Dylan, Johnny Cash, and many others.
His vocals have a beautiful crooning vibe
to them, which makes me think of iconic
singers such as Elvis Presley. What happens if you combine all of these iconic
styles together? Perry Stevens! His career
as a professional singer goes way back
when he first started rocking the club
scene. He took some time off and decided
not to pursue a touring musician career
so that he could focus on his family and
be there, but now he is as motivated and
inspired as ever. The audience’s response
to his new music has been absolutely
mind-blowing, prompting the artist to release more songs consistently.
Would you please share a brief synopsis of your 30 year music journey?
If you could walk us through your
music-related journey from the start
to present, what are some of the most
notable facets of your life as a artist?
I had a band back in the early 60s and
sang for many high-school functions. I
wrote all my lyrics and even the music.
I loved to sing, and I started as early as
13. From 1969, I was drafted and served
my country in Vietnam until 1971. From
1972-1981 I was a singer at Pasadena’s
number one night club. It was a French
restaurant during the day and a hot night
club and music venue in the evening. I
started singing there, and I was eventually hired to perform every Friday
and Sunday. That was one of my most
memorable years. The night club’s ratings soared, and even the Los Angeles
Times was there because of all the fans
I drew! I was offered many contracts and
refused them because I wanted to focus
on my career as a doctor and become a
chemist. Then, in February 1974, I met
my wife at the club, just after I finished
a song by Elvis Presley called “Steam
Roller Blues.” We got married in 1977,
and I decided to quit singing to be home,
and have a good married life with kids.
As you know, a singing career requires
a lot of traveling, even today. I thought
that not being home wouldn’t be good for my wife and children, so I wanted
to be there, provided for my family, and my children’s education,
including their college. Then in
2016, I joined a Karaoke app and
started to go back to singing and
get my voice back as it once was.
I accumulated over 17,638 Fans
over three years. All my fans kept
asking me why I do not go public
again with my music. I thought
about it and said, hey, why not!
The kids are out of the house now,
so I have time to go back to what I
love. To sing and write songs with
meaning that folks can relate to!
The first song I released and was
loved by all was “Hot Lava.” Old
sounds of the Rock-n-Roll era, but
all new. This was in November of
2018. Since then, I have released
over 20 songs. My fans are so happy, and I am too, of course, to be
able to regenerate my style and
class of music that has been lost.
Compared to when you started
music career some decades ago,
is it easier or harder to be a musician in 2019?
Today the music career is really
harder in some ways and easier
in some others, compared to 30
years ago. For instance. It is easier
to release your own songs, but so
much harder to earn a living cause
streaming took the bite out of re
-
cord sales that artists depended on
many years ago.
At what point did you realize
you had talent as a musician and
potential to make songs? Did anyone help you at that point?
I realized my singing and song
-
writing potential at an early age of
10. I used to write lyrics and hum
my own tunes. It was natural for
me, and I realized my God-given
talent in my teens. Nobody helped
me in this adventure, but the big
man upstairs opened doors for
me, which for I am very grateful
and humbled by the blessings God
gave me.
Who have you been listening to recently that
inspires you both in creatively and personally?
Michael Buble is really just an outstanding singer. I love his style, and the lyrics are
awesome. Another singer that is awesome to
this day is Joan Baez. Her songs are timeless.
Growing up, I loved Bobby Darin, Elvis, Bobby Vinton, Johnny Cash, Neil Sedaka, Neil Diamond, Paul Anka, and Bobby Bare, who I still
love to this day. All these singers influenced
me to make the kind of music I write and sing
today. Music with solid meaning, where fans
can relate to!
What’s the most important song you’ve
written at this stage in your career? What
makes it so meaningful to you?
The most important song is so hard for me to
pick as they all have different meanings. To
me, it would be Diary and Mama Don’t You
know. Diary shows everyone not that your
spouse will die one day as all die, but to cherish each other, do things together, so when
the time comes to part you won’t have to say
I should have, would have. Mama Don’t You
Know is an Anti Drug song to make mothers
aware of what their kids are doing socially before it is too late.
Why you have decided to go for the solo music? Do you believe in band?
I went solo, as it is easier for me to produce and write lyrics and songs. It’s great to have a band, but at this stage of my life, with all the technology really is not necessary. Now that does not mean that one day, I will not have a band. I think going solo was a great idea to move forward quicker, with no time pressure.
There’s for sure an Eternal vibes coming through on your latest Album “American Tango! Eternal Love!” What’s the back story to this project? What makes it particularly special for you?
American – Tango is very special to me. This song exactly depicts my Latin American wife that I have been married to now for 42 years. My first Latin dance was with her. She is a really good dancer in Tangos, Mambas, especially Cumbia. You know, my wife sings so beautify as well that when she sang at our wedding reception which was at an Italian restaurant, La Vie En Rose located in Little Neck, New York the cooks came out crying when she sang Flores Rutas, (Red Flowers). It is my wife that brought out the best in me to be where I am today.
Eternal Love!” (and you do!), which ones would they be and why?
American-Tango, Vagabond, Black Silk are my biggest highlights of American – Tango Eternal Love.
What does the next page in your career trajectory look like? What does the rest of this year and the start of 2020 look like for you?
My trajectory for the upcoming year looks very rosy. I will come out with more songs and do a few concerts around the US and Canada. I am also looking to promote my music to the film industry.
As a songwriter, is there a particular song concept or message that you’ve been honing in on or excited about that you can’t wait to share?
Like Hot-Lava was a taste of what I am capable of in bringing back the old RockN-Roll sounds with a new twist. I found out that most young people today are sick and tired of not having music like in the old day. How do I know this? Because a lot of my fans today are college kids that are regressing to old-style music! I am the singer that will be remembered in doing just that. Bring it back, all the way back. God Bless!
Though he was featured in recently released Lifoti's October/November 2019 issue 10, you can check it from below link's for your country:
United States | United Kingdom | Japan (Asia) | Canada | Mexico | Germany | France | Italy | Brazil | Spain | Australia | New Zealand | Ireland | Portugal | Russia | Netherlands | Poland | Finland | Sweden | Greece | Switzerland | Czech Republic
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