Steven Page
Encyclopedia
Steven Jay Page is a Canadian musician. Along with Ed Robertson
, he was a founding member, lead singer, guitarist, and a primary songwriter of the music group Barenaked Ladies
(BNL); he left the band in 2009 to pursue a solo career.
, Ontario
. After skipping first grade, Page was enrolled in Scarborough's gifted program
at Churchill Heights Public School
. Page's father, Victor, was a drummer, as is his brother, Matthew. As a child, Page would attempt to play songs on the piano, while his dad would keep the beat on the drums. Page took ten years of piano lessons (though claimed he did not learn to play). He also was a member of the Toronto Mendelssohn Youth Choir.
During childhood, Page had his best friend "stolen" by a schoolmate, Ed Robertson
, and resented Robertson for some time. The two went to high school at Woburn Collegiate Institute
but steered clear of each other until Page spotted Robertson at a Harvey's restaurant after a Peter Gabriel
concert and was surprised to find that Robertson was also a fan. This led to them talking, becoming friends, and ultimately, forming BNL. They were both counselors at the Scarborough Schools Music Camp in the summer of 1988, where some of their early collaborations in music were born. Page wrote songs with his friend Geoff Pounsett and made tapes of those songs; Robertson had obtained a tape the two had made, and knew some of Page's songs. Page was flattered by this and the two eventually became good friends.
in the English program with a minor in theory and choral studies, but dropped out to focus on the band's rising success.
Page was a main songwriter from the band's inception. A majority of the band's material came either from Page alone, or co-writing with Robertson. All but one of the songs on the band's first album
had a songwriting or co-writing credit for Page. He is credited on every song from both Maroon (2000) (other than the album's hidden track) and Everything to Everyone
(2003). In all, 97 of the 113 songs on the band's primary studio albums during his tenure (not including its holiday
or children's
albums) are credited or co-credited to Page. Though his level of credit remained steadily high, the contribution of initial song ideas became more evenly distributed to Robertson, and later other bandmates Kevin Hearn
and Jim Creeggan
; though Page continued to contribute his skill in completing or just polishing lyrics.
Page had also been the band's main lead singer since the beginning, though he always shared some of the lead vocal duty with Robertson. This stemmed, in part, from the band's common practice of writing for one's own voice; as Robertson came up with more song ideas, he would sing lead on more songs. All of the singles from the band's first three albums featured a Page lead vocal (not including "If I Had $1000000
" which featured a call-and-response lead vocal from both Robertson and Page), and nine of the 11 songs on the band's first live album, Rock Spectacle
, featured a Page lead. Following the success of "One Week", the band's first single with a Robertson lead, songs with a Robertson lead became selected equally as singles from that point on.
Page played acoustic and electric guitar
(and occasionally other instruments) for the band both in the studio and live. Most of the time, he played rhythm parts on songs he wrote, allowing Robertson to play more of a lead guitar role; but occasionally, he played a lead guitar role to Robertson's rhythm guitar. Page sometimes assumed guitarist duties on tracks he did not sing on, though never to the exclusion of Robertson on guitar as well.
By 2004, Page was having reservations about his contributions to the band. He has indicated that he participated in the recordings of Barenaked for the Holidays
and Snacktime!
despite being opposed to the recording of both albums. Concerning Snacktime!, Page indicated, "[i]t was a lot of fun to do, but it wasn't my idea. I was along for the ride."
On February 24, 2009, it was announced by both Page and the other members of Barenaked Ladies that Page would be leaving the group to pursue other opportunities including solo projects and theatrical opportunities, and that the remainder of the band would continue in his absence. The decision had been made about a week and a half before the public announcement, with one reason being the rest of the band's desire to record a new album, and Page's reluctance to do so. Page believes that his much-publicized drug arrest in Syracuse, New York
was a catalyst that hastened his already-imminent split with the band.
Page commented in August 2011 that around the subsequent time of his arrest, "the band was no longer the joyous place that it once was, but it hadn’t been joyous for a long time before that. It wasn’t that we didn’t put on good shows, we still had a great time onstage every night,” he added. “But it became a place where work was just about the stress and not the end product. And (the arrest and band tension) made me gather the strength to go out and do what I always wanted to do."
, and began corresponding with him after Duffy replied to a fan letter. Page was ultimately invited to co-write with Duffy in the early 1990s, and several co-written songs subsequently appeared on BNL albums, starting with Maybe You Should Drive
. With the aforementioned shift to a stronger intra-band writing process, Page/Duffy material found itself without a forum.
In June 2005, Page released his first "solo" album, of which all but one song were Page/Duffy co-writes (the other was written by Page alone). The duo's collaborative project is called The Vanity Project
, which is also the title of the album. Page has implied in interviews that the project is his alone, and that it is a forum for him to collaborate with writers/artists outside BNL. At the time, he suggested that future albums might not involve Duffy, but could feature other collaborations. Currently, there are no plans for a follow-up album.
.
Page set up promotional accounts for himself on several social networking websites both under his name and under the billing "The Steven Pages".
Page's first release following his split with Barenaked Ladies was A Singer Must Die
, a studio recording of cover songs arranged in unique ways by a variety of arrangers. He originally performed the songs at a pair of shows in Toronto accompanied by the Art of Time Ensemble (an ensemble of mostly classical instrumentalists) as part of its regular concert season. Following the lead of fellow vocalist Sarah Slean
's Black Flowers, the Art of Time and Page recorded the songs for a studio album, that was released February 16, 2010, and an subsequent 12-date concert tour.
Another studio album, Page One
, was released on October 19, 2010. Page toured the record across Canada and the US, including a string of shows supporting Goo Goo Dolls
.
On January 1, 2011, Page performed at the NHL Heritage Classic and led the singing of Canada's national anthem
before the game.
He performed Leonard Cohen
's "Hallelujah" at the state funeral
of Jack Layton
on August 27, 2011.
-Protestant father. Although Page's father, Victor, converted to Judaism to appease Page's mother's traditionalist grandparents, her grandparents disowned her nonetheless. As a result, Page never met his great-grandparents. However, his mother's Jewish background was the subject of an episode of a CBC
genealogy program called Who Do You Think You Are?
.
Page has been married twice. His first wife was Toronto musician and teacher Carolyn Ricketts, whom he wed on December 28, 1993. The two separated in February 2007, and divorced in 2009. They have three sons: Isaac (b. November 12, 1996); Benjamin (b. December 1998); and Jonah (b. April 16, 2001).
Page purchased a house in Fayetteville
, New York
with then-girlfriend Christine Benedicto in 2009, and splits his time between there and Toronto, where his children reside. Page married Benedicto on July 23, 2011, and spent their honeymoon in Paris
.
Page admitted in 2011 that he suffers from bipolar disorder
. He said that he has gone through periods of self medicating in order to relieve the symptoms. Since leaving Barenaked Ladies, he has been able to focus more on managing and treating his illness and has cited his sons as being his source of strength for keeping healthy and continuing treatment.
Among Page's relatives in the Toronto area is Page's second cousin, reggae
musician Snow
.
, along with Benedicto and another tenant. According to police, just after 2:00 am, officers were investigating Benedicto's car, which was suspiciously parked across the sidewalk or driveway (reports vary) in front of the home. The officers noticed Page and the other tenant, Stephanie Ford, at the kitchen table through a glass door. The two quickly covered the table with a towel when they noticed the officers. Though initially claiming that the white powder he was snorting was calcium
, when Page was informed by the police that it was testing positive for cocaine Page allegedly said, "Yeah, it's cocaine." Officers also found two capsules in Page's pocket. The total mass of the cocaine discovered was 0.314 ounces (8.9 g). Police subsequently found marijuana in the apartment as well.
Page and Ford were arrested and charged with fourth degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a class C felony. Ford was also charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. When Page's car was returned and searched, additional cocaine was found in the vehicle, but no charges were laid in connection to those at the time. During the arrest, Ford identified Page to police as the lead singer of Barenaked Ladies, which Page confirmed. Though she was not home at the time, Benedicto was later charged with seventh degree possession of a controlled substance, and possession of marijuana. Page was due back in court on July 17, 2008 after posting $10,000 cash bail, but the date was adjourned three times, to August 26, October 14, and finally October 28. Page also paid Ford's $5,000 bail himself, and Benedicto was released on her own recognizance
.
Terry McBride
of the band's Nettwerk
management refused to comment on the case in a statement but said he was confident Page will be cleared, and that "in the meantime it's business as usual." Bandmate Jim Creeggan
said that "we're fighting the charges and hopefully they'll just go away." Page played a scheduled Barenaked Ladies concert at the Horseshoe Casino in southern Indiana the next night (July 12). On July 16, a statement credited simply to the band was posted on its official website echoing the statements, and noting that "Steven has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and the validity of the charges against Steven will be strongly contested." McBride also announced that the band chose to cancel its appearance at several Disney Music Block Party concerts to avoid putting Disney in an awkward position pending the resolution of the matter. Page also hired the Sitrick and Company
public relations
firm, who reportedly also managed Paris Hilton
's legal issues, to help him handle his situation.
On October 28, Page appeared in court in Fayetteville, New York. Charges against him and the two women were reduced to misdemeanor possession. In accordance with an arrangement made with the court, the charges against Page were dropped on April 28, 2009, after he had complied with certain conditions for six months, including drug screening.
Ed Robertson
Lloyd Edward Elwyn Robertson , better known as Ed Robertson, is the Canadian lead singer, as well as a guitarist and songwriter in the band, Barenaked Ladies...
, he was a founding member, lead singer, guitarist, and a primary songwriter of the music group Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian alternative rock band. The band is currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart. Barenaked Ladies formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario, then a suburban municipality outside the City of Toronto...
(BNL); he left the band in 2009 to pursue a solo career.
Early life
Page was born in ScarboroughScarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. After skipping first grade, Page was enrolled in Scarborough's gifted program
Gifted education
Gifted education is a broad term for special practices, procedures and theories used in the education of children who have been identified as gifted or talented...
at Churchill Heights Public School
Churchill Heights Public School
Churchill Heights Public School is an elementary school on Brimorton Drive in the Scarborough district of Toronto, Canada.- Overview :As of spring 2007, 507 students are in attendance at Churchill Heights. Of these, 213 are female and 289 are male. 319 have a primary language other than English,...
. Page's father, Victor, was a drummer, as is his brother, Matthew. As a child, Page would attempt to play songs on the piano, while his dad would keep the beat on the drums. Page took ten years of piano lessons (though claimed he did not learn to play). He also was a member of the Toronto Mendelssohn Youth Choir.
During childhood, Page had his best friend "stolen" by a schoolmate, Ed Robertson
Ed Robertson
Lloyd Edward Elwyn Robertson , better known as Ed Robertson, is the Canadian lead singer, as well as a guitarist and songwriter in the band, Barenaked Ladies...
, and resented Robertson for some time. The two went to high school at Woburn Collegiate Institute
Woburn Collegiate Institute
Woburn Collegiate Institute is a non-semestered secondary school on Ellesmere Road in the Scarborough district of Toronto. Its motto is Let the Zeal for Learning Flourish.- History :...
but steered clear of each other until Page spotted Robertson at a Harvey's restaurant after a Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
concert and was surprised to find that Robertson was also a fan. This led to them talking, becoming friends, and ultimately, forming BNL. They were both counselors at the Scarborough Schools Music Camp in the summer of 1988, where some of their early collaborations in music were born. Page wrote songs with his friend Geoff Pounsett and made tapes of those songs; Robertson had obtained a tape the two had made, and knew some of Page's songs. Page was flattered by this and the two eventually became good friends.
Barenaked Ladies
Robertson invited Page to perform with him at a charity show under the name Barenaked Ladies in 1988, and ultimately the show led the pair to full time careers in the band. Page attended York UniversityYork University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
in the English program with a minor in theory and choral studies, but dropped out to focus on the band's rising success.
Page was a main songwriter from the band's inception. A majority of the band's material came either from Page alone, or co-writing with Robertson. All but one of the songs on the band's first album
Gordon (album)
Gordon is the debut album by Canadian band Barenaked Ladies. It was released through Sire Records on July 28, 1992. After The Yellow Tape was certified platinum in Canada, the group won a contest hosted by a local radio station. With the winnings, Barenaked Ladies were able to hire producer Michael...
had a songwriting or co-writing credit for Page. He is credited on every song from both Maroon (2000) (other than the album's hidden track) and Everything to Everyone
Everything to Everyone
Everything to Everyone is the sixth full-length original-material studio album by Barenaked Ladies. It was released in 2003 and was produced by Ron Aniello. Singles from the album include "Another Postcard", "Testing 1, 2, 3", "For You", "Celebrity" and "Maybe Katie"...
(2003). In all, 97 of the 113 songs on the band's primary studio albums during his tenure (not including its holiday
Barenaked for the Holidays
Barenaked for the Holidays is a full-length holiday-themed album released by Canadian band Barenaked Ladies on October 5, 2004. The album includes Christmas and Hanukkah songs as well as "Auld Lang Syne", which is traditionally sung on New Year's Eve. There are also several songs that are simply...
or children's
Snacktime!
Snacktime! is the debut children's album by Canadian band Barenaked Ladies released on May 6, 2008. A companion book was written with artwork by multi-instrumentalist Kevin Hearn, who also contributed artwork for the album. It is the final Barenaked Ladies album to include Steven Page, who departed...
albums) are credited or co-credited to Page. Though his level of credit remained steadily high, the contribution of initial song ideas became more evenly distributed to Robertson, and later other bandmates Kevin Hearn
Kevin Hearn
Kevin Neil Hearn is a Canadian musician who is currently the keyboardist of Barenaked Ladies and his own group, Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle. He is also a former member of Rheostatics.-Early life:...
and Jim Creeggan
Jim Creeggan
James Raymond Creeggan, better known as Jim Creeggan , is the bassist for Canadian band Barenaked Ladies...
; though Page continued to contribute his skill in completing or just polishing lyrics.
Page had also been the band's main lead singer since the beginning, though he always shared some of the lead vocal duty with Robertson. This stemmed, in part, from the band's common practice of writing for one's own voice; as Robertson came up with more song ideas, he would sing lead on more songs. All of the singles from the band's first three albums featured a Page lead vocal (not including "If I Had $1000000
If I Had $1000000
"If I Had $1000000" is a song by the Canadian musical group Barenaked Ladies from their album Gordon. Composed by founding members Steven Page and Ed Robertson, the sing-along track has become one of the band's best-known songs, and is a live show staple, despite never having been a true single...
" which featured a call-and-response lead vocal from both Robertson and Page), and nine of the 11 songs on the band's first live album, Rock Spectacle
Rock Spectacle
Rock Spectacle is a live album by Barenaked Ladies and their first live release. This was the album that finally broke the American market for BNL, with the live version of "Brian Wilson" and a release of "The Old Apartment" from Born on a Pirate Ship featuring this live version becoming hits, and...
, featured a Page lead. Following the success of "One Week", the band's first single with a Robertson lead, songs with a Robertson lead became selected equally as singles from that point on.
Page played acoustic and electric guitar
Guitar
The 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...
(and occasionally other instruments) for the band both in the studio and live. Most of the time, he played rhythm parts on songs he wrote, allowing Robertson to play more of a lead guitar role; but occasionally, he played a lead guitar role to Robertson's rhythm guitar. Page sometimes assumed guitarist duties on tracks he did not sing on, though never to the exclusion of Robertson on guitar as well.
By 2004, Page was having reservations about his contributions to the band. He has indicated that he participated in the recordings of Barenaked for the Holidays
Barenaked for the Holidays
Barenaked for the Holidays is a full-length holiday-themed album released by Canadian band Barenaked Ladies on October 5, 2004. The album includes Christmas and Hanukkah songs as well as "Auld Lang Syne", which is traditionally sung on New Year's Eve. There are also several songs that are simply...
and Snacktime!
Snacktime!
Snacktime! is the debut children's album by Canadian band Barenaked Ladies released on May 6, 2008. A companion book was written with artwork by multi-instrumentalist Kevin Hearn, who also contributed artwork for the album. It is the final Barenaked Ladies album to include Steven Page, who departed...
despite being opposed to the recording of both albums. Concerning Snacktime!, Page indicated, "[i]t was a lot of fun to do, but it wasn't my idea. I was along for the ride."
On February 24, 2009, it was announced by both Page and the other members of Barenaked Ladies that Page would be leaving the group to pursue other opportunities including solo projects and theatrical opportunities, and that the remainder of the band would continue in his absence. The decision had been made about a week and a half before the public announcement, with one reason being the rest of the band's desire to record a new album, and Page's reluctance to do so. Page believes that his much-publicized drug arrest in Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, 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...
was a catalyst that hastened his already-imminent split with the band.
Page commented in August 2011 that around the subsequent time of his arrest, "the band was no longer the joyous place that it once was, but it hadn’t been joyous for a long time before that. It wasn’t that we didn’t put on good shows, we still had a great time onstage every night,” he added. “But it became a place where work was just about the stress and not the end product. And (the arrest and band tension) made me gather the strength to go out and do what I always wanted to do."
Partnership with Stephen Duffy
As a young man, Page was a fan of songwriter Stephen DuffyStephen Duffy
Stephen Anthony James Duffy is an English singer/songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He was a founding member and vocalist/bassist of Duran Duran. He went on to record as a solo performer under several different names, and is the singer and songwriter for The Lilac Time with his older brother...
, and began corresponding with him after Duffy replied to a fan letter. Page was ultimately invited to co-write with Duffy in the early 1990s, and several co-written songs subsequently appeared on BNL albums, starting with Maybe You Should Drive
Maybe You Should Drive
- Singles :* "Jane"** Released: 1994** Formats: CD, cassette* "Alternative Girlfriend"** Released: 1995** Formats: CD- Charts :Album...
. With the aforementioned shift to a stronger intra-band writing process, Page/Duffy material found itself without a forum.
In June 2005, Page released his first "solo" album, of which all but one song were Page/Duffy co-writes (the other was written by Page alone). The duo's collaborative project is called The Vanity Project
The Vanity Project
The Vanity Project is an album released as a side-project by Steven Page, then of the band Barenaked Ladies . It is also the artist name under which the album was released...
, which is also the title of the album. Page has implied in interviews that the project is his alone, and that it is a forum for him to collaborate with writers/artists outside BNL. At the time, he suggested that future albums might not involve Duffy, but could feature other collaborations. Currently, there are no plans for a follow-up album.
Solo
Following his departure from Barenaked Ladies, Page's first major project was completing his work writing music for the first production of Bartholomew Fair: A Comedy at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Summer 2009. During that summer, he also embarked on a tour of music festivals (mostly folk festivals) accompanied by Kevin Fox on celloCello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
.
Page set up promotional accounts for himself on several social networking websites both under his name and under the billing "The Steven Pages".
Page's first release following his split with Barenaked Ladies was A Singer Must Die
A Singer Must Die
A Singer Must Die is Steven Page's first release following his departure from Barenaked Ladies, and his first solo album since 2005's The Vanity Project. It was recorded with the Art of Time Ensemble. It contains ten tracks, which are covers. The album was put on Page's website for preorder about a...
, a studio recording of cover songs arranged in unique ways by a variety of arrangers. He originally performed the songs at a pair of shows in Toronto accompanied by the Art of Time Ensemble (an ensemble of mostly classical instrumentalists) as part of its regular concert season. Following the lead of fellow vocalist Sarah Slean
Sarah Slean
Sarah Hope Slean is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet, and occasional actress from Pickering, Ontario. She has released eleven albums to date .-Major recordings:...
's Black Flowers, the Art of Time and Page recorded the songs for a studio album, that was released February 16, 2010, and an subsequent 12-date concert tour.
Another studio album, Page One
Page One (Steven Page album)
Page One is an album by Steven Page. It is his third full-length release outside of Barenaked Ladies, and both his second album as the featured performer , and his second album for which he was billed in his own name...
, was released on October 19, 2010. Page toured the record across Canada and the US, including a string of shows supporting Goo Goo Dolls
Goo Goo Dolls
The Goo Goo Dolls are a Grammy-nominated American rock band formed in 1986 in Buffalo, New York, by vocalist and guitarist John Rzeznik and vocalist and bass guitarist Robby Takac. Since the end of 1994, Mike Malinin has been the band's drummer, a position previously held by George Tutuska...
.
On January 1, 2011, Page performed at the NHL Heritage Classic and led the singing of Canada's national anthem
O Canada
It has been noted that the opening theme of "O Canada" bears a strong resemblance to the "Marsch der Priester" , from the opera Die Zauberflöte , composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and that Lavallée's melody was inspired by Mozart's tune...
before the game.
He performed Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
's "Hallelujah" at the state funeral
Death and state funeral of Jack Layton
On August 22, 2011, Canadian New Democratic Party leader and Leader of the Opposition Jack Layton died after a bout from an unspecified, newly diagnosed cancer. Prior to his recent diagnosis, Layton led his party to gain a historic rise in seats during the 2011 federal election...
of Jack Layton
Jack Layton
John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
on August 27, 2011.
Personal life
Page was born to an Ashkenazi Jewish mother and AngloAnglo
Anglo is a prefix indicating a relation to the Angles, England or the English people, as in the terms Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-American, Anglo-Celtic, Anglo-African and Anglo-Indian. It is often used alone, somewhat loosely, to refer to people of British Isles descent in The Americas, Australia and...
-Protestant father. Although Page's father, Victor, converted to Judaism to appease Page's mother's traditionalist grandparents, her grandparents disowned her nonetheless. As a result, Page never met his great-grandparents. However, his mother's Jewish background was the subject of an episode of a CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
genealogy program called Who Do You Think You Are?
Who Do You Think You Are? (Canadian TV series)
Who Do You Think You Are? is a Canadian television documentary series, which aired on CBC Television during the 2007-08 television season on Thursday evenings at 7:30 p.m. starting October 11, 2007...
.
Page has been married twice. His first wife was Toronto musician and teacher Carolyn Ricketts, whom he wed on December 28, 1993. The two separated in February 2007, and divorced in 2009. They have three sons: Isaac (b. November 12, 1996); Benjamin (b. December 1998); and Jonah (b. April 16, 2001).
Page purchased a house in Fayetteville
Fayetteville, New York
Fayetteville is a village located in Onondaga County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the village had a population of 4,190. The village is named after Lafayette, a national hero of both France and the United States...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
with then-girlfriend Christine Benedicto in 2009, and splits his time between there and Toronto, where his children reside. Page married Benedicto on July 23, 2011, and spent their honeymoon in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Page admitted in 2011 that he suffers from bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
. He said that he has gone through periods of self medicating in order to relieve the symptoms. Since leaving Barenaked Ladies, he has been able to focus more on managing and treating his illness and has cited his sons as being his source of strength for keeping healthy and continuing treatment.
Among Page's relatives in the Toronto area is Page's second cousin, reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
musician Snow
Snow (musician)
Darrin O'Brien , better known by his stage name Snow, is a Juno Award-winning Canadian rap and reggae musician. He is best known for his 1992 single "Informer", which reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.-Life and work:...
.
Drug arrest
On July 11, 2008, Page was arrested while visiting the apartment of Christine Benedicto in Fayetteville, New YorkFayetteville, New York
Fayetteville is a village located in Onondaga County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the village had a population of 4,190. The village is named after Lafayette, a national hero of both France and the United States...
, along with Benedicto and another tenant. According to police, just after 2:00 am, officers were investigating Benedicto's car, which was suspiciously parked across the sidewalk or driveway (reports vary) in front of the home. The officers noticed Page and the other tenant, Stephanie Ford, at the kitchen table through a glass door. The two quickly covered the table with a towel when they noticed the officers. Though initially claiming that the white powder he was snorting was calcium
Calcium
Calcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft gray alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth-most-abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust...
, when Page was informed by the police that it was testing positive for cocaine Page allegedly said, "Yeah, it's cocaine." Officers also found two capsules in Page's pocket. The total mass of the cocaine discovered was 0.314 ounces (8.9 g). Police subsequently found marijuana in the apartment as well.
Page and Ford were arrested and charged with fourth degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a class C felony. Ford was also charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. When Page's car was returned and searched, additional cocaine was found in the vehicle, but no charges were laid in connection to those at the time. During the arrest, Ford identified Page to police as the lead singer of Barenaked Ladies, which Page confirmed. Though she was not home at the time, Benedicto was later charged with seventh degree possession of a controlled substance, and possession of marijuana. Page was due back in court on July 17, 2008 after posting $10,000 cash bail, but the date was adjourned three times, to August 26, October 14, and finally October 28. Page also paid Ford's $5,000 bail himself, and Benedicto was released on her own recognizance
Recognizance
In some common law nations, a recognizance is a conditional obligation undertaken by a person before a court. It is an obligation of record, entered into before a court or magistrate duly authorized, whereby the party bound acknowledges that he owes a personal debt to the state...
.
Terry McBride
Terry McBride
Terry McBride is the current CEO and one of three founders of the Nettwerk Music Group, which includes Nettwerk Productions , Nettwerk Management , Nettwerk One , and Artwerks...
of the band's Nettwerk
Nettwerk
The Nettwerk Music Group is the umbrella company for Nettwerk Management, Nettwerk Records, Nettwerk One Publishing, Nutone Records, and Artwerk. With over 150 employees, the Vancouver-based company has offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Boston, Nashville, and Hamburg...
management refused to comment on the case in a statement but said he was confident Page will be cleared, and that "in the meantime it's business as usual." Bandmate Jim Creeggan
Jim Creeggan
James Raymond Creeggan, better known as Jim Creeggan , is the bassist for Canadian band Barenaked Ladies...
said that "we're fighting the charges and hopefully they'll just go away." Page played a scheduled Barenaked Ladies concert at the Horseshoe Casino in southern Indiana the next night (July 12). On July 16, a statement credited simply to the band was posted on its official website echoing the statements, and noting that "Steven has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and the validity of the charges against Steven will be strongly contested." McBride also announced that the band chose to cancel its appearance at several Disney Music Block Party concerts to avoid putting Disney in an awkward position pending the resolution of the matter. Page also hired the Sitrick and Company
Sitrick and Company
Sitrick and Company is a Los Angeles-based public relations firm started by Mike Sitrick in 1989. It would go on to establish offices in New York, Miami, San Francisco, and Silicon Valley...
public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
firm, who reportedly also managed Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton
Paris Whitney Hilton is an American businesswoman, heiress, and socialite. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton . Hilton is known for her controversial participation in a sex tape in 2003, and appearance on the television series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood...
's legal issues, to help him handle his situation.
On October 28, Page appeared in court in Fayetteville, New York. Charges against him and the two women were reduced to misdemeanor possession. In accordance with an arrangement made with the court, the charges against Page were dropped on April 28, 2009, after he had complied with certain conditions for six months, including drug screening.
Other activities and interests
- Page has been an avid member of the New Democratic PartyNew Democratic PartyThe New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
, and has been a notable supporter of former federal NDP leader (and his riding's MP), Jack LaytonJack LaytonJohn Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
. He performed Leonard CohenLeonard CohenLeonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
's Hallelujah at Layton's funeral. - As of August 31, 2008, he was a member of the board of directors marketing and events committee for World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF-Canada).
- As of July 2007, Page was a member of the WindShareWindShareWindShare is a for-profit wind power co-operative that was officially launched in February 2002 in Toronto, Canada. It was created by the non-profit Toronto Renewable Energy Co-operative which was incorporated in 1998...
co-op that built/owns the wind turbineWind turbineA wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
at Exhibition PlaceExhibition PlaceExhibition Place is a mixed-use district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, by the shoreline of Lake Ontario, just west of downtown. The 197–acre area includes expo, trade, and banquet centres, theatre and music buildings, monuments, parkland, sports facilities, and a number of civic, provincial,...
in downtown Toronto. - Page owns a farmhouse somewhere in the region surrounding Toronto. At some point prior to the recording of Barenaked for the HolidaysBarenaked for the HolidaysBarenaked for the Holidays is a full-length holiday-themed album released by Canadian band Barenaked Ladies on October 5, 2004. The album includes Christmas and Hanukkah songs as well as "Auld Lang Syne", which is traditionally sung on New Year's Eve. There are also several songs that are simply...
, he invested in building a recording studio at his farmhouse, which he has named Fresh Baked Woods. The band's first record there was the aforementioned Holidays album. The band also used the studio for the recording sessions for Barenaked Ladies Are MeBarenaked Ladies Are MeBarenaked Ladies Are Me is the seventh full-length original-material studio album by Barenaked Ladies. It was their first original-material album since 2003's Everything to Everyone. It was released in September 2006 internationally...
, including the bonus tracks that were later released separately as Barenaked Ladies Are MenBarenaked Ladies Are MenBarenaked Ladies Are Men is the eighth full-length original-material studio album by Barenaked Ladies, and the second release of material from the 29-song session that bore the companion album Barenaked Ladies Are Me...
. Page acquired the console from Le StudioLe StudioLe Studio was a recording studio located just south of the tourist town of Morin Heights, Quebec. It was the first ‘environmental’ recording studio outside a major urban center...
, where the band recorded GordonGordon (album)Gordon is the debut album by Canadian band Barenaked Ladies. It was released through Sire Records on July 28, 1992. After The Yellow Tape was certified platinum in Canada, the group won a contest hosted by a local radio station. With the winnings, Barenaked Ladies were able to hire producer Michael...
(among the many famous albums recorded at that studio), and integrated some of that equipment into the console at Fresh Baked Woods. - In the original 2002 edition of Canada ReadsCanada ReadsCanada Reads is an annual "battle of the books" competition organized and broadcast by Canada's public broadcaster, the CBC.-Overview:During Canada Reads, five personalities champion five different books, each champion extolling the merits of one of the titles. The debate is broadcast over a series...
, Page advocated for Michael OndaatjeMichael OndaatjePhilip Michael Ondaatje , OC, is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian novelist and poet of Burgher origin. He is perhaps best known for his Booker Prize-winning novel, The English Patient, which was adapted into an Academy-Award-winning film.-Life and work:...
's novel In the Skin of a LionIn the Skin of a LionIn the Skin of a Lion is a novel by Canadian/Sri Lankan writer Michael Ondaatje. It was first published in 1987 by McClelland and Stewart. The novel fictionalises the lives of the immigrants whose contributions to building Toronto in the early 1900s never became part of the city's official history...
, which won the competition. In the 2007 edition of Canada Reads, an "all-star" competition pitting the five winning advocates from previous years against each other, Page returned to champion David BezmozgisDavid BezmozgisDavid Bezmozgis is a Canadian writer and filmmaker.Born in Riga, Latvia, he came to Canada with his family when he was six. He graduated with a B.A. in English literature from McGill University. Bezmozgis received an M.F.A. from the University of Southern California's School of Cinema-Television....
's short story collection Natasha and Other StoriesNatasha and Other StoriesNatasha and Other Stories is a collection of short stories by Canadian author David Bezmozgis. His first published book, Natasha was published in 2004...
.
Discography
- A Singer Must DieA Singer Must DieA Singer Must Die is Steven Page's first release following his departure from Barenaked Ladies, and his first solo album since 2005's The Vanity Project. It was recorded with the Art of Time Ensemble. It contains ten tracks, which are covers. The album was put on Page's website for preorder about a...
(2010) - Page OnePage One (Steven Page album)Page One is an album by Steven Page. It is his third full-length release outside of Barenaked Ladies, and both his second album as the featured performer , and his second album for which he was billed in his own name...
(2010)