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STEVE WARINER

Fact Sheet

Hometown:
Noblesville, Indiana

Birthdate:
December 25, 1954

Family:
Wife, Caryn and sons, Ryan and Ross

Hobbies:
Sports, magic, old cars, collecting guitars and art (watercolors).

Instrument:
Most stringed instruments - mainly guitar, bass and drums. Steve owns an extensive collection of guitars, including the first one he ever learned to play, the first one he bought and his very own limited edition Takamine model.

Beginnings:
At age 9, Steve started out playing bass, and later drums, in -his father's band. At 17 he was bassist for Dottie West, at 22 for Bob Luman and at 24 for Chet Atkins.

Influences:
Roy Wariner (father), Chet Atkins, James Burton, Jerry Reed, The Beatles, Merle Haggard and Glen Campbell.

Awards:
One Grammy, 3 CMA Awards, 8 BMI Songwriter Awards, 2 BMI "Million Air" awards, 1 Gibson Guitar Award

Accomplishments:
More than a dozen #1 songs and thirty Top Ten songs as a performer. As a songwriter, he has had his work recorded by Garth Brooks, Clint Black, Bryan White, Conway Twitty and others.

CAREER MILESTONES
1999
Steve wins the Orvilie H. Gibson Guitar Award as Best Male Country Guitarist. Steve receives two Grammy Award nominations.

1998
Steve wins two CMA Awards - Song of the Year and Single of the Year - for "Holes In The Floor of Heaven." He actually takes home three CMA statues - as writer, performer and producer of the song. Burnin' The Roadhouse Down is certified gold by the RIAA. Four songs written by Steve simultaneously hold spots on the Billboard and R&R charts. Steve signs with Capitol Records.

1997
The single, "What If I Said," a duet with Warner Bros. artist Anita Cochran, becomes Steve's 30th Top Ten record. Garth Brooks' single, "Longneck Bottle," co-written by Steve, debuts at a record-breaking #10 and reaches #1 in four weeks.

1996
The Grand Ole Opry inducts Steve as a member.

1996
Arista Records releases Steve's first instrumental album, No More Mr. Nice Guy, featuring Vince Gill, Leo Kottke, Chet Atkins, Bryan White, Larry Carlton and many others. Steve is sole producer on the album.

1994
I Am Ready is certified gold by the RIAA.

1992
Steve wins his first Grammy Award and CMA Award for "Restless,” a collaboration with Mark O'Connor, Vince Gill and Ricky Skaggs.

1990
Steve signs with Arista Records.

1984
Steve signs with MCA Records and releases six albums. He has ten #1 records in a row, including "Some Fools Never Learn," "Small Town Girl," “Lynda," and "I Got Dreams.”

1982
RCA releases Steve Wariner. It contains four hit singles: "Your Memory," "By Now," "All Roads Lead to You" (his first #1 song) and "Kansas City Lights.”

1980
Chet Atkins "fires" Steve from his band when Steve scores his first Top 10 hit, "Your Memory.”

1978
Steve releases his first single, "l'm Already Taken.”

1977
Chet Atkins (one of Steve's heroes) hires Steve as his bass player and signs him to his first "singles" deal with RCA Records.

1975
Steve starts playing with Bob Luman, who records several songs written by Steve.

1973
At age 17 Steve joins Dottie West's band. He plays the Grand Ole Opry, then based at the Ryman Auditorium, for the first time.

Information courtesy Capitol Records

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