Steve Perry (Oregon musician)
Encyclopedia
Stephen Henry Perry is an American musician, best known for being the lead singer, songwriter and rhythm guitar
ist for the ska
-swing band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies
, of which he is the founding member.
to a physicist
and a social worker, and raised in Apalachin
, outside the industrial city of Binghamton
. He described Binghamton as being "a poor, run down, loner class town", which would later serve as a significant influence on his songs. As a child, he received dance and piano lessons, though expressed an initial disinterest in music, devoting much of his adolescence towards literature and athletics, later discovering a passion for music upon his introduction to punk rock
in the late 1970s. Perry attended Vestal High School, where he was involved with track and field.
After graduating in 1981, Perry moved to Eugene, Oregon
to pursue track and field and chemistry
in the Honors College
at the University of Oregon
, where he befriended fellow student Dan Schmid
. After being exposed to the Northwest punk and hardcore
scene, Perry became inspired to follow a path as a musician, teaching himself guitar at age twenty. Soon finding himself more interested in "drinking beer and going to punk rock shows" than attending college, Perry dropped out in his junior year in 1983 and formed the punk trio The Jazz Greats with Schmid and drummer Tim Arnold. Perry was also briefly involved with Snakepit alongside Billy Karren
, Joe Preston
and Al Larsen
before assembling the Paisley Underground
-styled band Saint Huck with Schmid and Arnold in 1984.
Throughout the 1980s, Perry lived a devoutly Bohemian
lifestyle: sporting eccentric clothing and waist-length tricolor
hair dyed red, white and blue, he primarily spent his days writing songs and short stories, living in a house with up to ten other people ("where I slept in fiberglass insulation"), and juggled numerous oddjobs ranging from a telephone dispatcher
and construction worker
to a squid cleaner at a Greek restaurant and the owner of an avant-garde
video store. Perry recalled that a lot of his free time was spent in a beatnik coffee house, listening to obscure punk, rock, jazz
, swing, psychedelia
and soul
records on a jukebox
, an experience he credits for introducing him to the American roots music that would later be explored by the Daddies.
based on people from his childhood neighborhood, wherein each character was represented by a different genre of music. While the play never materialized, he carried the concept and much of the material over to the next band he and Schmid formed, Mr. Wiggles (later to be renamed "Cherry Poppin' Daddies"). Inspired by the more experimental aspects of punk, Perry set out to form a band more musically varied than the grunge
sound dominating the Northwest music scene, choosing to utilize a horn section
and dance-oriented genre eclecticism, placing particular emphasis on jazz and swing.
While the Daddies' iconoclastic music and flamboyant live shows had struck a positive chord with Oregon's counterculture
, the band also came under harsh criticism from feminist
and P.C.
groups who saw the band as promoting sexism
and obscenity
based on their name and lyrical content. Perry, being the creative force behind the band, was placed at the center of this controversy. In a 1990 article on the Daddies, Eugene Weekly
had called him "the most hotly discussed topic in the local music scene....hailed by some as a creative genius, reviled by others as a foul-mouthed sexist, he clearly is the Eugene flash point for the growing national debate on censorship, free speech, and the rights of the artist". Perry claimed that this notoriety had caused him to be singled out and frequently harassed in his community, so much as once having hot coffee thrown in his face by an irate protester as he was walking down the street. Throughout the band's controversies, Perry stood firmly by his claims of artistic freedom
, emphasizing the satirical elements and fictional narrative
featured in his lyrics.
for the better part of two years in order to be closer to his family and "chill anonymously" following the Daddies' brush with fame. Upon moving back to Eugene, Perry re-enrolled at the University of Oregon, pursuing an undergraduate degree
in molecular biology
. He graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science
, and currently works in a biology laboratory
.
In 2002, Perry formed the hard rock
/glam rock
band White Hot Odyssey
with Daddies guitarist Jason Moss
. The group played steadily throughout the early 2000s, often as a opening act for the Daddies, and released their self-titled debut
in 2004 on Jive Records
before going on hiatus the following year.
Perry lives in Eugene, and has a daughter with his longtime girlfriend.
Perry has mostly played a Gibson Les Paul
in concert, but since the early 2000s has alternated with a Flying V
. In late 2009, shortly after the band's signing to Rock Ridge Music
, Perry teamed up with Gibson to promote the company's new limited edition SG
Zoot Suit guitar, appearing in several picture advertisements with the mention of it being used on the Daddies next tour. However, the SG has very rarely been used in concert since then.
for complete listing
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
ist for the ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
-swing band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies
Cherry Poppin' Daddies
The Cherry Poppin' Daddies are an American band established in Eugene, Oregon, in 1989. Formed by Steve Perry and Dan Schmid , the band has experienced many membership changes over the years, with only Perry, Schmid and Dana Heitman currently remaining from the original line-up.The Daddies' music...
, of which he is the founding member.
Early life
Perry was born in Syracuse, New YorkSyracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
to a physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
and a social worker, and raised in Apalachin
Apalachin, New York
Apalachin is a census-designated place within the Town of Owego in Tioga County, New York, United States. The population was 1,126 in the 2000 census. It is named after the Apalachin Creek. Apalachin means From where the messenger returned in the Lenape.Apalachin is in the southeast part of the...
, outside the industrial city of Binghamton
Binghamton, New York
Binghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...
. He described Binghamton as being "a poor, run down, loner class town", which would later serve as a significant influence on his songs. As a child, he received dance and piano lessons, though expressed an initial disinterest in music, devoting much of his adolescence towards literature and athletics, later discovering a passion for music upon his introduction to punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
in the late 1970s. Perry attended Vestal High School, where he was involved with track and field.
After graduating in 1981, Perry moved to Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
to pursue track and field and chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
in the Honors College
Robert D. Clark Honors College
The Robert D. Clark Honors College is a small liberal arts college that is part of the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1960, it is the oldest honors college in the United States. Its namesake, Robert D. Clark, was a president of the university, and key contributor...
at the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
, where he befriended fellow student Dan Schmid
Dan Schmid
Daniel Joseph Schmid is an American musician, known for his work as the bassist for the ska-swing band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, of which he is a co-founder, and the piano rock trio The Visible Men.-Career:...
. After being exposed to the Northwest punk and hardcore
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
scene, Perry became inspired to follow a path as a musician, teaching himself guitar at age twenty. Soon finding himself more interested in "drinking beer and going to punk rock shows" than attending college, Perry dropped out in his junior year in 1983 and formed the punk trio The Jazz Greats with Schmid and drummer Tim Arnold. Perry was also briefly involved with Snakepit alongside Billy Karren
Billy Karren
Billy Karren is an American musician and feminist most commonly known as the lead guitarist of the influential punk band Bikini Kill. He was also active in many other music projects in the Olympia music scene including: The Go Team, The Frumpies, Corrections, and Spray Painted Love.He was not often...
, Joe Preston
Joe Preston (bassist)
Joe Preston is a rock bass guitarist and a former band member of Earth, The Melvins, Men's Recovery Project, The Need and High on Fire. Preston has also played with Sunn O))), and has a solo project called Thrones. Joe Preston learned bass from Alexander Giles. In 2007, he joined Harvey Milk in...
and Al Larsen
Some Velvet Sidewalk
Some Velvet Sidewalk was an experimental lo-fi rock band from Olympia, WA on the independent label K Records.-History:Some Velvet Sidewalk was formed in Eugene, Oregon in 1987 by Al Larsen and Robert Christie . Their first release was From Playground 'Til Now, and was independently released on...
before assembling the Paisley Underground
Paisley Underground
Paisley Underground is an early genre of alternative rock, based primarily in Los Angeles, California, which was at its most popular in the mid-1980s.- History :...
-styled band Saint Huck with Schmid and Arnold in 1984.
Throughout the 1980s, Perry lived a devoutly Bohemian
Bohemianism
Bohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people, with few permanent ties, involving musical, artistic or literary pursuits...
lifestyle: sporting eccentric clothing and waist-length tricolor
Tricolor
Tricolor or tricolor may refer to something with three colors :* Tricolour flag, any flag or banner having three colours, particularly in bands of approximately equal width** Tricolour, the flag of France, commonly called the Tricolour in English...
hair dyed red, white and blue, he primarily spent his days writing songs and short stories, living in a house with up to ten other people ("where I slept in fiberglass insulation"), and juggled numerous oddjobs ranging from a telephone dispatcher
Dispatcher
Dispatchers are communications personnel responsible for receiving and transmitting pure and reliable messages, tracking vehicles and equipment, and recording other important information...
and construction worker
Construction worker
A construction worker or builder is a professional, tradesman, or labourer who directly participates in the physical construction of infrastructure.-Construction trades:...
to a squid cleaner at a Greek restaurant and the owner of an avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
video store. Perry recalled that a lot of his free time was spent in a beatnik coffee house, listening to obscure punk, rock, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, swing, psychedelia
Psychedelic music
Psychedelic music covers a range of popular music styles and genres, which are inspired by or influenced by psychedelic culture and which attempt to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues-rock bands in the...
and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
records on a jukebox
Jukebox
A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron's selection from self-contained media...
, an experience he credits for introducing him to the American roots music that would later be explored by the Daddies.
Cherry Poppin' Daddies
By 1988, Perry had conceived and written a stage musicalMusical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
based on people from his childhood neighborhood, wherein each character was represented by a different genre of music. While the play never materialized, he carried the concept and much of the material over to the next band he and Schmid formed, Mr. Wiggles (later to be renamed "Cherry Poppin' Daddies"). Inspired by the more experimental aspects of punk, Perry set out to form a band more musically varied than the grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
sound dominating the Northwest music scene, choosing to utilize a horn section
Horn section
In music, a horn section can refer to several groups of musicians. It can refer to the musicians in a symphony orchestra who play the horn . In a British-style brass band it refers to the tenor horn players. In popular music, it can also refer to a small group of wind instrumentalists who augment a...
and dance-oriented genre eclecticism, placing particular emphasis on jazz and swing.
While the Daddies' iconoclastic music and flamboyant live shows had struck a positive chord with Oregon's counterculture
Counterculture
Counterculture is a sociological term used to describe the values and norms of behavior of a cultural group, or subculture, that run counter to those of the social mainstream of the day, the cultural equivalent of political opposition. Counterculture can also be described as a group whose behavior...
, the band also came under harsh criticism from feminist
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
and P.C.
Political correctness
Political correctness is a term which denotes language, ideas, policies, and behavior seen as seeking to minimize social and institutional offense in occupational, gender, racial, cultural, sexual orientation, certain other religions, beliefs or ideologies, disability, and age-related contexts,...
groups who saw the band as promoting sexism
Sexism
Sexism, also known as gender discrimination or sex discrimination, is the application of the belief or attitude that there are characteristics implicit to one's gender that indirectly affect one's abilities in unrelated areas...
and obscenity
Obscenity
An obscenity is any statement or act which strongly offends the prevalent morality of the time, is a profanity, or is otherwise taboo, indecent, abhorrent, or disgusting, or is especially inauspicious...
based on their name and lyrical content. Perry, being the creative force behind the band, was placed at the center of this controversy. In a 1990 article on the Daddies, Eugene Weekly
Eugene Weekly
The Eugene Weekly is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Eugene, Oregon. The paper, published every Thursday, has a circulation of 39,850. It publishes an annual "Best of Eugene" list, a restaurant guide , and special sections on festivals, music, wine, health, and travel....
had called him "the most hotly discussed topic in the local music scene....hailed by some as a creative genius, reviled by others as a foul-mouthed sexist, he clearly is the Eugene flash point for the growing national debate on censorship, free speech, and the rights of the artist". Perry claimed that this notoriety had caused him to be singled out and frequently harassed in his community, so much as once having hot coffee thrown in his face by an irate protester as he was walking down the street. Throughout the band's controversies, Perry stood firmly by his claims of artistic freedom
Artistic freedom
Artistic freedom is the extent of freedom of an artist to produce art to his/her own insight. The extent can deviate to customs in a certain school of art, directives of the assigner, etc....
, emphasizing the satirical elements and fictional narrative
Narrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
featured in his lyrics.
Outside endeavors
During the Daddies' hiatus, Perry temporarily relocated to ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
for the better part of two years in order to be closer to his family and "chill anonymously" following the Daddies' brush with fame. Upon moving back to Eugene, Perry re-enrolled at the University of Oregon, pursuing an undergraduate degree
Undergraduate degree
An undergraduate degree is a colloquial term for an academic degree taken by a person who has completed undergraduate courses. It is usually offered at an institution of higher education, such as a university...
in molecular biology
Molecular biology
Molecular biology is the branch of biology that deals with the molecular basis of biological activity. This field overlaps with other areas of biology and chemistry, particularly genetics and biochemistry...
. He graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
, and currently works in a biology laboratory
Laboratory
A laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
.
In 2002, Perry formed the hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
/glam rock
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
band White Hot Odyssey
White Hot Odyssey
White Hot Odyssey is an American hard rock band formed in Eugene, Oregon in 2002 by Cherry Poppin' Daddies vocalist Steve Perry and guitarist Jason Moss, along with musicians Mark Rogers , Ed Cole and Jivan Valpey .-Biography:...
with Daddies guitarist Jason Moss
Jason Moss (musician)
Jason David Moss is an American musician, known for his work as the lead guitarist for the ska-swing band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, of which he was a member from 1992 to 2010.-Early life:...
. The group played steadily throughout the early 2000s, often as a opening act for the Daddies, and released their self-titled debut
White Hot Odyssey (album)
White Hot Odyssey is the debut album by American hard rock band White Hot Odyssey, released on Mojo/Jive Records in 2004.-Track listing:All songs written and composed by Steve Perry.#"Good Head" – 3:49#"Permanent Juvenile" – 3:52...
in 2004 on Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
before going on hiatus the following year.
Perry lives in Eugene, and has a daughter with his longtime girlfriend.
Role in the Cherry Poppin' Daddies
Since their inception, Perry has been the sole lyricist, primary composer and producer of the Daddies' music. According to Jason Moss in regard to the band's songwriting process, Perry writes nearly every aspect of the Daddies' music, first composing each song on his guitar and then working with each member of the band to build upon his ideas for drum beats, horn lines, bass lines and lead guitar riffs.Perry has mostly played a Gibson Les Paul
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
in concert, but since the early 2000s has alternated with a Flying V
Gibson Flying V
-External links:*, , , , and , from the Gibson website*, a June 2001 article from Guitar Collector magazine*, a tribute site that lists all models and re-issues and most notable players**...
. In late 2009, shortly after the band's signing to Rock Ridge Music
Rock Ridge Music
Rock Ridge Music is an independent record label based in Newark, New Jersey. Some of the more recognized artists on the Rock Ridge roster include Reel Big Fish, Sister Hazel, Psychostick, Attack! Attack! UK, The Ike Reilly Assassination, and Ingram Hill....
, Perry teamed up with Gibson to promote the company's new limited edition SG
Gibson SG
At the launch of the SG in 1961, Gibson offered four variants of the SG; the SG Junior , the SG Special, the SG Standard, and the top-of-the-line SG Custom. However, Gibson's current core variants as of 2010 are the SG Standard and the SG Special...
Zoot Suit guitar, appearing in several picture advertisements with the mention of it being used on the Daddies next tour. However, the SG has very rarely been used in concert since then.
Cherry Poppin' Daddies
See: Cherry Poppin' Daddies discographyCherry Poppin' Daddies discography
The discography of the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, a Eugene, Oregon-based ska-swing band, includes five studio albums, four singles, two compilation albums, three demos and three music videos, among other recordings....
for complete listing
- Ferociously StonedFerociously Stoned- Personnel :Cherry Poppin' Daddies*M.C. Large Drink – vocals*John Fohl – guitar*Dan Schmid – bass*Brian West – drums*Chris Azorr – keyboards*Brooks Brown – alto saxophone*James Phillips – tenor saxophone*Dana Heitman – trumpet...
(1990) - VocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
(as MC Large Drink) - Rapid City Muscle CarRapid City Muscle CarRapid City Muscle Car is the second studio album by American band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, released in 1994 on Space Age Bachelor Pad Records.-Overview:...
(1994) - Vocals - Kids on the StreetKids on the StreetKids on the Street is the third studio album by American band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, released in 1996 on Space Age Bachelor Pad Records.-Overview:...
(1996) - Vocals, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, producing - Soul CaddySoul CaddySoul Caddy is the fourth studio album, fifth chronologically, by American band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, released on October 3, 2000 by Mojo Records.-Album overview:...
(2000) - Vocals, guitar, keyboard effectsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, stylophone, producing - SusquehannaSusquehanna (album)Susquehanna is the fifth studio album by American band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, released on Space Age Bachelor Pad Records in February 2008, and later re-issued on Rock Ridge Music in September 2009....
(2007) - Vocals, guitar, keyboards, producing
White Hot Odyssey
- White Hot OdysseyWhite Hot Odyssey (album)White Hot Odyssey is the debut album by American hard rock band White Hot Odyssey, released on Mojo/Jive Records in 2004.-Track listing:All songs written and composed by Steve Perry.#"Good Head" – 3:49#"Permanent Juvenile" – 3:52...
(2004) - Vocals, guitar (as Le Count d' Monet), producing