Spurgin, Steve

STEVE SPURGIN

• From McKinney, Texas (near Dallas). Now living in Carson City, Nevada.
• Best known as the bass player and lead vocalist with the band California (three-time winner of IBMA’s Instrumental Group of the Year Award.)
• A singer-songwriter with many songs to his credit including “Walk in the Irish Rain” and “Speak Softly, Your Talkin’ to My Heart”, a #1 song for Gene Watson.
• 1972, played drums with a California group called Wild Oats.
• 1980, played drums with Byron Berline’s band Sundance.
• 1981, played drums with the Limeliters. Also worked withi Freddy Fender, Mason Williams and Steve Gillette.
• 1982, became staff songwriter for Reba McIntyre.
• 1988, formed California with Byron Berline, John Hickman, Dan Crary and John Moore. Played bass and sang lead vocals.
• 1996, released first solo project Distant Faces (Tricopolis Records).
• 1998-2000, played bass with Bluegrass Etc. He continues to play occasional dates with this band.
• 2002, released Tumbleweed Town album (Tricopolis Records).
• 2004, formed a band called Sawmill Road (broke up in 2010).
• 2011, released Past Perfect album (Blue Night).
• 2012, released Folk Remedies album (Blue Night).
• 2014, authored a memoir (book) titled Skint Knee, Texas: Narratives on the Great Transition.