Steve
Segal is a Montreal-based guitar player, writer, producer, and engineer who has worked with April Wine, Aldo Nova, Celine
Dion, The Ramones, Jon Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper, Michel Pagliaro, Niagara, Eric Lapointe, Roch Voisine, Robert Charlebois, Nanette
Workman, and many others.
Steve started his career as a professional musician
in 1977 playing for Quebec’s well-known Rock ‘n Roll diva, Nanette Workman.
In 1978 he started working as a studio guitarist, logging many hours in the studio with such talents
as Michel Pagliaro, Nanette Workman, George Thurston (Boule Noire), Gino Soccio, and others.
In 1980, while living in New York City with Talking Heads' bass player, Busta Cherry Jones,
Steve worked with members of the Talking Heads, and recorded two songs with the Ramones becoming the only other guitar
player besides Johnny Ramone ever to record with the Ramones in studio.
After
playing almost every club and theatre in Manhattan over the next two years,including shows with members of the Talking
Heads, Joey Ramone, Busta Cherry Jones, Jimmy Rip, Bernie Worrell and others, Steve grew weary of the new wave and punk
scenes that were so "in vogue" during that period, so he returned to Montreal to put together a small recording
studio where he started collaborating with well-known Quebec hit songwriter Angelo Finaldi writing and producing French
Quebec artists.
In 1984 Steve co-wrote, arranged, and played on a Radio Activitee top-ten single for Nanette
Workman entitled Bad Boy.
In 1988 Steve wrote, arranged, played and produced the award-winning Les Nuits S’ens Vient for Polygram
recording artist Nico Matisse at Steve’s personal studio in Montreal. On this project, he worked
closely with Corky Laing of the famed band Mountain who was head of A&R for Polygram Records at the time.
Around the same time, Steve also recorded Alice Cooper’s “Freedom” in pre-production of the comeback
album Raise Your Fist.
While touring
Quebec with Michel Pagliaro from 1987 through 1989, Steve also spent many hours during his off-time recording with various
Quebec artists such as Aldo Nova, Celine Dion, Michel Pagliaro, Marie Denise Pelletier, Patrick Bourgieous, 6AM, and Robert
Charlebois. During this time Steve also performed and co-produced quite a few jingles for major companies
such as Molson, Labatt, Chrysler, Rainbow Jeans, Laurentide and many more.
In 1989 Steve played slide guitar on Aldo Nova’s album Blood on the Bricks and worked
one-on-one with both Aldo and Jon Bon Jovi who co-produced the album with Aldo at Le Studio in Morin Heights.
At the end of 1989, he left
Quebec to tour 22 European countries over the next two and a half years with the Parisian rock band Niagara, with whom he
also recorded a live 4- song CD in Germany
Upon
his return from Europe in 1992, he was asked to join the Canadian icon rock band April Wine. During his
4-year, 2-album stint with April Wine, Steve also did sessions for others during his off-time, playing on several records
including Eric Lapointe's smash debut Obsession. Steve also co-wrote the song "Better Slow
Down" with Myles Goodwyn on the April Wine CD Attitude. After parting April Wine on amicable
terms, Steve started producing local acts while still playing live around Montreal.
In 1995, Steve was hired by Aldo Nova once again, this time to play on Celine Dion's 17-million seller, Grammy
award-winning album Falling Into You.
Around 1997,
during his spare time he started playing occasionally with a band called Who Cares, a local band known for playing benefit
concerts. Together, they played multiple benefit concerts for the Make-a-Wish Foundation, the Just For
Kids Foundation, and the Momanides Senior Hospital Foundation. Steve continues to play these benefit concerts
to this day.
In 2000 he rejoined with Nanette Workman as guitarist, along with Montreal's Jimmy James,
for seven years and two albums, during which time he also recorded and produced demos for younger Quebec talent.
Near the end of 2007, Steve made the decision to stop touring and return to his passion of recording and producing
music. Having completed three albums in 2008, he is currently in production on several other albums for up-and-coming Quebec
artists at his studio in Laval, Quebec.
In 2007 Steve was contacted once again by Myles Goodwyn, founder and lead singer of April Wine to collaborate on a
double CD project called Myles Goodwyn and Friends Of The Blues. Steve plays on four songs and
is in the company of a roster of world-class guitar players such as Rick Derringer, Frank Marino, Amos Garrett, Jack DeKeyser,
David Wilcox, and others. The album is slated for release in May 2009.
In
2009 April Wine was inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame. Steve being a one time member tagged
right along with them!