Biography

"The evidence is clear that he is truly a master."

Bobbie Gallup, Gallup 'N Dawg Music, Nashville, TN

During a musical career which spans three decades, Steve Holt has established himself as one of Canada's leading musicians and is listed in Canadian Who's Who. A JUNO nominee (Canadian equivalent of a Grammy), he has performed in concert with the likes of Larry Coryell, Archie Shepp, Eddie Henderson, Pat Labarbera, James Moody, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Michel Urbaniak, and many others. Steve has 5 albums and 3 singles to his credit, including the recently released "The Dream" - a major departure from his roots. In addition to music, Steve is also a competitive bodybuilder.

Born in Montreal Canada, Steve was a musical prodigy who began to teach himself to play the piano at age four. By age 17, Steve was making a name for himself playing the club circuit. At 22 he finally decided to get a formal music education, and later graduated with distinction as McGill University's first-ever Bachelor of Music majoring in Jazz performance. He subsequently became a music instructor at McGill, traveling to New York to study with legendary pianist Kenny Barron. Holt's debut recording in 1983 "The Lion's Eyes" won instant critical acclaim around the world and was nominated for a JUNO. In subsequent years he established himself as one of Canada's leading pianists, performing with many of the world's greatest musicians.

In 2000 Holt made a dramatic change of musical direction from jazz to adult contemporary music. He studied voice with Bill Vincent and emerged in 2002 as a remarkable vocalist and songwriter, releasing his 6th record "The Dream", an AC-AOR album produced by Darius Szczepaniak (Barenaked Ladies, Jann Arden, Chantal Kreviazuk). The first single, "We Need You", a plea for peace and tolerance in a troubled world, achieved a great deal of success at radio across Canada. Holt was subsequently awarded an Honorable Mention at the USA Songwriting Competition.

Steve is also a competitive bodybuilder… He entered his first competition in March 2000, and placed 5th in the Masters category at the ANBC Lion Country Classic in State College, Pennsylvania in April of 2000.

Drawing on a wealth of musical expertise, life experiences, and spiritual unfolding, Steve's new music is powerful and real. As critic Dan Brisebois wrote in Canadianbands.com, "There really isn't a bad cut on the disc - and several are just plain exceptional. (Steve Holt) …will make you re-think your views on modern adult pop music."

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