From Steve's brother Dan 

"Peter,

I saw your tribute to Steve on your web site and I wanted to convey to you how much I appreciated it.  I'm Steve's brother.

You may be aware that we played country/bluegrass music growing up as "The Adams Family".  Steve was the vocal arranger for "The Adams Family" and he had quite a bit to do with how the instrumental parts came out also.  He had a real good ear and chordal sense which are necessary talents for arranging.  Also in our group he played 5-string banjo, guitar, and dobro and typically sang the part that's a 5th above the melody.

In high school Steve & I played in a rock band, I don't recall any performances but we had quite a few rehearsals.  When he was in college and I believe sometime after, Steve played steel guitar with a country/bluegrass group called "Buckeye Biscuit", and also around that time I know he was starting to develop an interest in and was studying jazz guitar.  Plus Steve & I played in a polka band for a lot of weddings and parties.  Steve was in short an all around musician who adapted to numerous styles.

Growing up, math was not my strong point and Steve had innate abilities in that area also and many hours were spent at our kitchen table with him explaining over and over how to do various math problems.  I know you'll agree, as anyone I've talked to that had gotten to know Steve, he was a blessing to be around, never condescending or stuck up always willing to help or share his abilities and patiently wait until the point he was trying to explain was understood.

I agree with you, "I will truly miss him."

Dan Adams
 
 
Copyright © 2005.
 
Steve Adams
Steve Adams, who passed away on April 2nd, 2004, was simply the very best guitarist I have ever heard . I had the pleasure, indeed the honour, of having him play at many functions as well as on numerous recordings. He was unassuming and very humble. He would turn up to the event, set up, and he play. He could make the guitar sing and the music he played was inspiring.

Steve was a creative genius when it came to playing the guitar. He would add touches of brilliant guitar work to enhance a song and in each verse he would play something different. In some respects he was "too good" for this area, he was up there with the best of them but we all knew we were so lucky to have him around to play He really is irreplaceable.

 

He was a brilliant guitarist. One time I dropped off a tape to Steve and asked him to learn a guitar introduction. When we got to play it on stage at a concert there was little time for rehearsal. In this song Galleries of Pink Galahs ( John Williamson) we came to the song and he hit it perfectly.

In November of last year I asked Steve to come and put down some guitar on a couple of songs I was recording for a friend of mine who had suffered a loss in the family. As usually Steve came well prepared and it took less than an hour. Because one of the songs was so short I asked him, on the spur of the moment, if he could lengthen it by playing the melody again at the end. As usually he did a superb job. Have a listen

Song of the Angels

I will truly miss him.

Peter Shaw

HOME      SHOWS     CD     LINKS    GALLERY    CONTACT