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BIOGRAPHY

Born in Middlesbrough, Steve, the son of bandleader Arnie Walker began his professional musical career at the tender age of 14 after becoming a full time member of the Musicians Union. After serving his apprenticeship in the tough north east clubland and dance band scene he went on to study trumpet with Arthur Butterworth and David James at Huddersfield and graduated with a BA (Hons) Degree in Music in 1983.

 

During the 1980s and 90s Steve lead his own successful band regularly performing at Butlins and all the major UK holiday companies and all the well known London hotels. His band also played on some of the world's most famous cruise liners, QE2, Canberra, Oriana and the prestigious 1998 world cruise on board Arcadia. During that period he was bandleader on board the majestic Ocean Princess, the first cruise liner to sail to Antarctica and Manaus, a thousand miles up the Amazon River. Steve appeared alongside many household names and his band appeared at Peoples Jazz Club in Rio de Janeiro and in a private show for the president of Argentina Carlos Menem in Buenos Aires.

 

Since then Steve has enjoyed a long, varied and successful career as a freelance musician, conductor, arranger and Musical Director appearing all over the world with recording artists such as The Commodores, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, The Miracles, The British Philharmonic Orchestra and The Nelson Riddle Orchestra. Steve can still be spotted regularly in the trumpet section of the Syd Lawrence and Joe Loss Orchestras.

 

Much in demand as a session musician, Steve recently in association with Elvis Presley Enterprises Graceland USA, played with Elvis In Concert, a European Arena Tour that included the O2 and Wembley on the UK leg of the tour. He can also be heard on the new Rock School syllabus and appeared on the BBC Proms In The Park in front of 45000 people at London's Hyde Park. 

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Now living in Skegness, Steve was the inspiration and Festival Director of The Butlins Open Brass Band Festival. Under his guidance the Festival became one of the largest and most important weekends in the banding calendar. Steve is a published music arranger, brass band adjudicator and also works part-time as a peripatetic brass teacher for the Lincolnshire Music Service. He is also the Musical Director of Skegness Silver Band and hosts his own radio programme, Steve Walker's Big Band Bash every week on Coastal Sound Radio.

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