BIO

STEVE JARRELL

Phone: 615.430.5923

Email: 4jarrell@bellsouth.net

Steve Jarrell began his long entertainment career in the summer of 1962 singing and playing sax at the American Legion Post 55 in historic Fredericksburg, Virginia.  Originally from Winston Salem, N.C., Steve would visit Myrtle Beach, S.C. in the summers.  As a child, he was introduced to the sounds of "Carolina Beach Music" that played on the juke boxes at the beach.  Steve saw his first "live" band play in the gym at Beaulah Elementary School in Surry County, N.C. at age 10 and from that day forward, he knew that entertainment would be his life's calling.

 The first band was called The Rebels. They played every Fri. & sat. night at the American Legion for $2.00 each.  In six months time, they had a pay raise to $5.00 each.  By the fall of '63, he was playing school dances and frat parties at the University of Virginia with Don Ballard & The Exciters.  The summer of '63 would also be his first Va. Beach performance at Seaside Amusement Park.  Steve left that band in the spring of  '64 to form a group with some high school friends known as The Prophets.  This would be his introduction to his first recording group scoring three regional hits in '65 and '66.  The group became the house band at The Starlite Pavilion at Fairview Beach, Va.  It also led to his first national tours playing the New York World's Fair, the famous Palisades Park with Cousin Brucie from WABC radio in New York, as well as appearances on the Clay Cole Show.    Steve left the group in '67 when some of the original members left for college and the military.  At that time, Steve joined The Rotations which was a 13 member horn band that had become very popular in Va. on the college circuit, as well as the house band at Peabody's Warehouse in Virginia Beach.

In August 1968, Steve entered the military.  While stationed at March Air Force Base in Riverside, Ca. Steve met Dick Dale, the father of Surf Music, and became a member of his famous group, Dick Dale and the Deltones.  Steve served his Country by day and played music at night.  The Viet Nam war was in full swing and Steve was transferred to Southeast Asia to Utapao Airfield, Thailand.  In Thailand, Steve formed a group with some other soldiers known as Salt and Pepper.  The band was the first American group ever to record in Southeast Asia and had their first number one record in Bangkok, Thailand.  The group was allowed to travel and perform at military bases all over the country of Thailand as well as performing regularly at the Pataya Beach Resort and Jack's American Star Bar and The Grand Hotel in Bangkok.

Reassigned again, to Plattsburgh AFB in N.Y., Steve put together Cabaret Brass and Company performing at the Cabaret Club on Lake Champaign.  Here, he met the warden of Danamora State Prison who allowed Steve to take the band inside the prison to perform being the first group ever allowed to do so.

After serving in the military, Steve returned to California and Dick Dale and the Deltones, touring the country and playing an extended gig in Honolulu, Hawaii at the Beef & Grog in Waikiki.  Steve left Hawaii in 1973 and returned to Va. where he became vocalist and sax player for one of the top show bands in the Southeast, Our House.  This popular group toured from Cape Cod, Ma. to Miami, Fl.  It was with this band that Steve had his first Beach Music hit with a version of the old Drifters hit, "Up On The Roof".

In 1978, Steve decided that it was time to relocate to a major music market.  Nashville, TN. was more appealing to Steve than Los Angeles and New York.  The music community in Nashville was smaller and a lot friendlier.  His first gig in Nashville was with a nationally known oldies band known as Myron and the Marvells.  Steve toured with the group before being asked to be a background singer with country music star Donna Fargo.  While touring with Donna, some of the Marvells had left that group to get off the road and find a house gig in Nashville.  Steve got the call from the ex Marvells, and was asked to be a part of a house band at the Amber III.  In 1981, this was the beginning of the Sons of the Beach.

The Sons of the Beach had their house gig at the Amber III playing Carolina Beach music and oldies for almost five years, having one of the longest running house gigs in Nashville, Music City USA.  It was at the club that the band was featured in an ABC Movie of the Week, "My Body, My Child", starring Vanessa Redgrave.  Simultaneously, the group appeared weekly on Nashville's WSMV-TV "Noon Show".  Steve also, wrote and recorded a summer promo for WSMV that ran a season featuring the Sons of the Beach.

Also, Steve appeared as the sax player in the movie "Sweet Dreams" starring Jessica Lange and Ed Harris, about the life of country singer Patsy Cline.  Bitten by the "acting bug", Steve is also featured in several music videos with such stars as Alan Jackson, Mickey Gilley, Johnny Lee and others.

What did Steve Jarrell do in his spare time?  For one thing, he co-produced and co-hosted Viacom's first in house production in Nashville.  A weekly show called "Let's Go, Rock n Roll", potrayed comedy characters on "Elvira, Mistress of the Night" on Nashville's channel 17, guest hosted "Night Owl Theater" on channel 2, and did "Dukes of Hazzard" commercials for channel 5, as well as several other TV commercials.  In the summer months, he was a featured performer in the oldies show at Opryland, singing, playing sax, and comedy.  In the winter months, he was a radio announcer J-79 in Ashland City, TN.  Then it was off the Amber III club to perform with "The Sons" at night.

In 1985, Steve Jarrell and the Sons of the Beach were asked to appear with the Beach Boys on their 4th of July celebration in Philadelphia.  This would be their biggest single appearance before a live audience ever, a record setting 1.2 million.  The concert was made into a TV show entitled "The Beach Boys-Bring On The Summer".

The year 1987 began with Steve Jarrell and the Sons of the Beach leaving Nashville for the Caribbean island of Grand Cayman, BWI.  The band was hired as house band for the new Treasure Island Resort on Grand Cayman.  This engagement brought the band both national and international recognition.  The resort was owned by several country music stars and was constantly being covered by the press.  The band was featured on Good Morning America, Crook and Chase, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, The Travel Channel, British TV, Japanese TV, Canada's Travel, Travel Show, as well as appearances on TNN's Ralph Emory Show.  The band played the resort for almost two years.  While in the Caymans, the group recorded a live album entitled Party In Paradise that gave the group three beach music hits to their credit, “Carolina Man”, “Southern Belle”, and a song that has become a beach music classic, “I've Still Got Sand In My Shoes”.

Upon returning to America, the group appeared in another TV special on TNN.  This special was Ronnie Milsap's Lost in the 50's starring Ronnie Milsap, Fabian, The Crickets, and Steve Jarrell and the Sons of The Beach.  Then, back on the touring trail performing at resorts such as Hilton Head, S.C., Myrtle Beach, S.C., Panama City, Fl., Perdido Beach, Al., and endless number of corporate events, street festivals, car shows, night clubs and private events.  In 1990, the group recorded “Coupe de Ville” and “Till Next Summer”.

Touring consistently since 1988, the band finally decided to stop touring in 1993.  For the next six months, Steve Jarrell was the Comedian, vocalist, and sax player with the American Pride Show at the Alabama Theatre in Myrtle Beach, S.C.  This was the opening season for the theatre owned by the famous country music group.  After kicking off the inaugural season, Steve returned to Nashville to continue entertaining audience after audience with his career group, the Sons of the Beach.

Important milestones continue for Steve and the band.  Over the years the group has either performed with, or, provided back up for several stars from the 50's and 60's.  Steve has had a dream for many years to promote an oldies show just the way they were done back in those wonderful years.  Thanks to Gaylord Entertainment and Opryland Productions, Steve was given the chance to put together such a show at the world famous Ryman Auditorium, home of the original Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.  On July 26, 1998, Rockin' At The Ryman was presented featuring Steve Jarrell and the Sons Of The Beach and 13 stars that helped mold Rock n Roll.  Performing on the show was Gene Hughes (orig. lead singer for the Casinos), Pat Upton (orig. lead singer for Spiral Starecase), Dobie Gray, Dennis Yost, Sandy Posey, Bruce Channel, Ray Peterson, Troy Shondell, Garry Miles, Robert Knight, Larry Henley (orig. lead singer for The Newbeats), Ronny Dayton (orig. lead singer for Ronny &The Daytonas), and Clifford Curry.  The show was a huge success and July 26th was proclaimed Pioneers of Rock n Roll and Rhythm and Blues Day by Mayor Phil Bredeson of Nashville.  The response to the show was so overwhelming that besides playing dates with Sons of the Beach, Steve has been producing the rock n roll reunion tour throughout the southeast.  The show is called Jukebox Gold  Other nostalgia stars have appeared on the show such as Jimmy "Handyman" Jones, Archie Bell, Jimmy Hall (orig. lead singer for Wet Willie), Len Barry, and Nedra Talley-Ross (orig. member of The Ronettes).

More recently, Steve Jarrell and the Sons of the Beach just completed a TV project backing up 40 original stars from the 50's, 60's and 70's.  The show, entitled “Rock and Roll Graffiti” made its debut on TNN the summer of ’99.  An oldies CD project also developed from the show.  The band also received national recognition through the media by performing at what may well be the biggest employee appreciation party ever, in Bermuda.  The one day beach party put on by Jordan's Furniture of Boston, Ma. for 1200 employees was held in May of ‘99 and was covered by NBC, ABC, CBS and CNN.

Career highlights continue to follow.  Steve Jarrell and the Sons of the Beach performed twice for the RNC.  The first performance was at the 2000 Republican National Convention in Philadelphia, then on election night in Washington, DC.

A proud moment for Steve Jarrell came on October 27, 2001 by having the honor of being inducted into the South Carolina R & B/ Beach Music Hall of Fame.

In 2002, Steve Jarrell and the Sons of the Beach introduced beach music to Cancun, Mexico performing for the Caribbean Hotel Association at the Royal Sands Resort.

On May 25, 2005, Steve Jarrell was honored for his achievements by receiving the Billy Scott Lifetime Achievement Award from the Beach Music Association International on Beach Music Day at the State Capitol in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Steve Jarrell has also been bringing beach music to the airways in the Nashville, TN area by producing his own radio show since 2000, first on WDBL AM/FM and currently on WSGI /AM 1100 in Springfield, TN.  He announces under the air name of “Daddy-O on the Patio”.  The name was taken from the now deceased announcer “Daddy-Oh” a legendary Disc Jockey from WAAA Radio in Winston Salem, NC.  Steve credits “Daddy-Oh” for introducing him to Rhythm and Blues and uses the name in tribute to the individual that would contribute to Steve’s love of R&B and Beach Music and the desire to make a career out of writing and performing this style of music.

Currently, Steve has added a DUO version of the Sons of the Beach.  A more affordable act for smaller venues.  Steve's duo partner is Lee Quisenberry, leader of the popular FAB Band (formerly Fat Ammon's Band).  Lee plays keyboards, trumpet and provides lead vocals.  Using today's technology of musical sequencing, the duo sounds like an entire band.