Steve Priest Bass guitarist of the English rock band "Sweet" Date of Birth: 23.02.1948 Country: Great Britain

Biography of Steve Priest

Steve Priest, whose full name is Stephen Norman Priest, was born in 1948 in Hayes, Middlesex, England. From the age of 13, he sang in a church choir in Hayes. Inspired by musicians like Jet Harris from The Shadows, The Rolling Stones, and The Who, Priest started playing homemade bass guitar in local teenage bands when he was 15.

In January 1968, Priest was invited to join a new band that already consisted of vocalist Brian Connolly, drummer Mick Tucker, and guitarist Frank Torpey. This was the birth of the band that later became known as "The Sweet." They played a unique mix of hard rock and bubblegum rock, and quickly achieved success with singles like "Funny Funny," "Co-Co," and "Little Willy."

"The Sweet" went through multiple highs and lows, with their most successful year being 1971 when they worked with producers Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman. During the first decade, the band created and recorded seven official albums. After Connolly's departure in 1979, Priest took on the role of vocalist until the band disbanded in 1982.

During this time, Priest divorced his first wife, Pat, and relocated to New York City. On June 18, 1981, he remarried Maureen O'Connor, who was the director of advertising and artist development at Capitol/EMI Records in New York. While in New York, Priest formed a band called "The Allies," featuring guitarist Marco Delmar and drummer Steve Missal. Although the new band didn't achieve overwhelming success, their composition "Talk To Me" appeared in the movie "Fast Food."

In 1985, a former bandmate from "The Sweet" proposed a reunion, but Priest declined. Shortly after, Priest and his family moved to Los Angeles. He continued to work sporadically, recording music from time to time, but didn't achieve anything particularly notable. In 1988, Priest participated in the attempted reunion of "The Sweet" with former vocalist Connolly, despite Connolly's deteriorating health.

In 1994, Priest published his autobiography titled "Are You Ready Steve?" and in 2006, his album "Priest's Precious Poems" was released. In January 2008, Steve Priest recreated "The Sweet" without any original members. The new band was named "Steve Priest's Sweet." They delighted fans by performing in various rock venues in the United States and Canada. In early 2009, the group released a Live CD.

Today, Steve Priest resides in La Canada Flintridge, California, with his wife Maureen and daughters Danielle and Margaret. Despite some critics, "Steve Priest's Sweet" receives a warm reception at most venues.