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Steve O’Kane is a British singer, songwriter and poet based in the United Kingdom, performing in clubs, theatres, festivals and schools, as well as on local and BBC Radio. ==Biography== Steve O’Kane began writing poetry at an early age, before taking up the guitar at the age of 15, and attempting to put his work to music. He first ventured in front of an audience at The Blackmore Folk Club, one of the longest-established folk clubs in Essex. The meetings were held at The Bull public house in Blackmore, Essex. It was at The Blackmore Folk Club that Steve O’Kane tried out his early attempts at reconciling guitar and poetry, with offerings such as “Station Café”. It was here also that Steve first encountered the unaccompanied singing and harmonising of English traditional songs, the club at that time being peopled by such as Peter Booth, Roger Johnson, Simon Ritchie, Ally Byrne, (one half of “The Pansy Potters”), Brian Lynch and Peter Billinge, and many accomplished others. Paul Simon performed at this club (amongst others) in the 1960s. Inspired by their example, Steve began to include some traditional songs in his own repertoire, exploring the possibilities of two-part male/female harmony, with his partner, Fiona McBain. Gaining confidence from the positive reaction to his work, he began performing at other venues, whilst still working on the seemingly endless inspiration to write new songs and poems. It was after performing a gig at The Hermit Club, in Brentwood, that he was approached by Dennis Rookard, who co hosted the show “Folk-Scene” on BBC Radio. During the gig Steve had performed his moving song, “Sunflowers”, his unique take on the Ethiopian famine, and Dennis Rookard had felt that it should be heard by a larger audience. It was at BBC Essex that Steve O’Kane first met Rick Christian, Dennis Rookard’s co-host. Rick Christian was instrumental in helping Steve to become accepted as a member of P.R.S., the Performing Right Society. Steve went on to perform on BBC Essex several more times, as well as on The Pete Jennings Show on BBC Radio Suffolk. In 2001, Steve O’Kane and Fiona McBain put together a one-night performance at The Brentwood Theatre, which sold out. After a three-year period spent writing new songs and poems, he found that a new audience and new venues had sprung up. Whilst enjoying the live performances, it became clear that there was still a demand for something more permanent, so in 2006 he bowed to pressure and gathered a small selection of 10 of his songs, and produced a CD ''Talking to The Moon''. It was an eclectic mix of his work, with some tentative attempts at embellishment, but it included what was at the time his latest song, “Talking to The Moon”, and also “Station Café”, the first poem he had put to music so long ago, as a way of making a symbolic connection, reconciling the past with the present. In 2006, Steve was interviewed on Whipps Cross Radio, Link F.M. Radio, and BBC Essex Radio, performing live on each occasion. He was also asked to perform for the Mayoral gathering at the official launch of Link F.M Radio, to celebrate their acquisition of a Full-time Broadcasting Licence.In the same year, he was accepted into The Word Weavers, a group of poets and writers in Havering, and in 2007 he performed a selection of his poetry and songs at The Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch, as a part of their presentation. In June 2007, he opened the Leigh on Sea Folk Festival as support for Anthony John Clarke along with fellow singer and guitarist, Ski, now performing as Louise Jordan. In July 2008 he performed at the inaugural Snodland Folk Festival Snodland, Kent, part of the Snodland Carnival 2008. In 2009 and 2010, Steve performed at various locations throughout the south east, since when he has been frequently accompanied by Fiona McBain, and has supported Manfred Mann; Asheley Hutchins of Fairport Convention fame; Martin Wyndham reed, and The Strawbs. He is currently on an ongoing journey to produce more albums, and a collection of his poetry. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Steve O'Kane」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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