Steve Arvey

Steve Arvey

Steve Arvey started playing Music seriously when he was 18 years old. While in college in Gainesville Florida Steve met John Vilardo who was the first person that he ever jammed with. At that same period Steve had a new roommate by the name of Ben Andrews. Ben is a country blues ragtime guitarist from Washington, DC. Ben Introduced Steve to the great country bluesmen like Charley Patton, Robert Johnson, Bukka White, and Leadbelly. When Steve first heard Leadbelly his whole life changed. The words and music struck a deep emotion in Arvey's soul. The blues became a deep part of Steve's life. Ben Andrews really was my his big influence into the blues. He showed him how to fingerpick and got Steve into playing bass. Another person from Gainesville and an early influence was Barrelhouse Chuck. Chuck had a large record collection and was playing in the Robert Hunter Blues Band. Robert Hunter was a blind saxophone player who had worked with Bobby "Blue" Bland in the sixties. Eventually Chuck moved out to Seattle and Ben and Steve formed another band to back up Robert Hunter. The same year Bo Diddley moved to Gainesville from New Mexico and the Robert Hunter Band ended up backing Bo Diddley.


Arvey eventually returned to Chicago, where he worked as a sideman on the Chicago Blues scene playing bass guitar, guitar, and drums behind such Blues Legends as Hubert Sumlin, Jimmy Rogers, Big Smokey Smothers, Homesick James, Andrew Brown, Lefty Dizz, Big Moose Walker, BB Big Voice Odum, Detroit Jr., Lovie Lee, Carey Bell, Big Jack Johnson, Sam Carr, Frank Frost, Lester Davenport. Eddie Taylor, Sam Lay, Eddie Clearwater, Sugar Blue, Abb Locke, Hip Linkchain, Sammy Lawhorn, Jr. Wells, Sammy Fender and others.


Then Arvey formed a band called West Side Heat and Released his first Album. The band was very active between 1981-1991 and toured all over the world, sometimes backing up Notable blues artists. The Highlight of the Group was their Performance on The Crossroads Stage at the 1990 Chicago Blues Festival.

In 1991 Steve put West Side Heat on hold for a short period. Arvey went back to playing acoustic guitar. At this time Arvey also hooked up with Kraig Kenning a great slide guitar player from Chicago.

1993 saw the Chicago musical group Monkee Chow emerge. Steve was an intregal part of this band. Monkee Chow was a very popular band in the Chicago area playing many festivals and nightclubs

In that time period, Arvey was also approached by the publicists for the Irish beer, Harp Lager. Steve played solo shows with a lot of Celtic tunes and eventually started the band The Chicago Rovers. The Rovers became one of Chicago's top Celtic groups and Steve appears on the First Chicago Rovers Album.

In 1997 Steve recorded the CD "Pass The Hat" with slide master Kraig Kenning.

The "Best from the Vault" CD was released in 1998. This CD is a compilation of music from Arvey's albums from the 80's and some new music that Steve recorded with Spike Ravenswood.

In 1999 West Side Heat started touring again after the death of John Duich who was a great guitar player that did some gigs with West Side Heat in the 80's.

In 2000 Steve Recorded the Song Blues Messiah on his Fine Line CD. This song got major airplay in Australia and established Arvey as a Singer Songwriter.

Steve then started his International trek which brought him to Australia, Ireland, England, Wales, Italy, Isle of Man, Spain, Austria, France, New Zealand and Scotland to perform at Festivals, Theaters and Clubs.

In 2007 Steve moved to Florida where he works constantly.

Steve still works with many of the great Chicago Blues Legends and tours the World playing both Electric and Acoustic.