1953 -2004
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.
1992 Steve Adams accompanied me for a Concert in Victoria Park.
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
I will truly miss him.
Peter Shaw
Last updated November 15th, 2004