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Strickland Recalls Successful And Enjoyable Music Career

Steve Strickland achieved success as a performer alongside his wife, Barbara Jean, and with the bands Gotham Rose and Smokehouse. He can currently be seen performing in the area solo and with members of the Steve Strickland Duo. Submitted photo by Jamie Probst

Steve Strickland’s music career has spanned decades and several geographical locations, but one thing has remained a constant: he has always felt at home behind his keyboards.

Whether it be as a solo artist or as a member of an ensemble, Strickland’s love for the piano and keyboard has never wavered from the time he first learned that he could play literally any song of his choosing on the instrument.

His musical journey has taken him across the country, including places like Las Vegas and the Midwest, and back again, and he has established himself as a premiere performer of country and classic rock. For almost two decades he performed with the popular area group Smokehouse, and he also shared a stage with a handful of big-time country artists with his original band Gotham Rose before the group was disbanded

He can currently be seen performing with the Steve Strickland Duo in several area establishments courtesy of his partnership with John Streed and Blue Moon Management. And, as he stated in a recent interview, he has no plans of stopping anytime soon.

The following is a brief transcription of an interview between The Post-Journal and Strickland in an effort to capture the essence and highlights of the latter’s decorated and extensive music career:

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P-J: How did you first come to discover music, and what was it that held your interest?

Strickland: I grew up in Maple Springs and began playing piano when I was 5. I told my parents that I wanted to learn because my older brother and sister were doing it, and it turned out to be something that I actually shined at. I didn’t immediately latch onto music as something to do for a career or even share with other people. For example, my grandma had to pull me out from under a dining room bureau before my first piano recital because I was afraid and didn’t want to do it. But I did eventually play (the recital) and it turned out to not be so bad.

P-J: At what point did you realize that you had an affinity and desire for live performance?

Strickland: I’ve always been an entertainer; I was always kind of the class clown, so to speak. But it wasn’t until I was about 13 and my sister brought home sheet music for Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” that I realized I could play music I actually liked on the piano. Then I later found out that was something I could make money at, and my life hasn’t been the same since.

P-J: Even though you got your start here, you spent some time on the other side of the country honing your craft. How would you describe that experience?

Strickland: My time out West gave me a great opportunity to get my feet wet as a performer. Firstly, I met up with my wife, Barbara Jean, and we started playing out of Phoenix, Ariz. We went on the road for two-and-a-half years and took up country music together. We played a bunch of the bars out there; the kind of places that have a cage set up in front of the band, like in the “Blues Brothers” movie. We had a lot of fun doing that, but then the opportunity arose for us to start an optical business in Jamestown — which is now Strickland Optical — and that brought us back to the area. Then Barbara went her jazz way and I went my rock-pop-country way, and we’ve been doing that ever since.

P-J: What were some of the high points of your career as a performer?

Strickland: I did a lot of great things with Gotham Rose, playing big stages with our own original music. We opened up for many major acts like Trace Adkins, Toby Keith, George Jones, Diamond Rio, Waylon jennings, and others. Those were great times. I loved performing with those guys when everything gelled on stage and everything was working good. I really enjoyed just being in the moment. Gotham Rose didn’t end up taking off like we’d hoped it would and I then joined up with Smokehouse. I was the lead singer for that band for about 17 years, and that was my mainstay for rock music. That was a fun band with a bunch of great musicians. I also was lucky to be able to play the Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater for three years in a row with the Bill Ward Band. That was a great gig.

P-J: What do you have going on nowadays?

Strickland: Lately I’ve been doing a solo thing and duo gigs with Jim Foti and Dave Swart. I like to think of it as the “unplugged” version of what I’ve been doing all along. I just have fun with it; I get the crowd into it and let them sing along. I’d also like to thank John Streed and Blue Moon Management. I’ve enjoyed working with him to get into all the venues that I’m playing. The important thing is that I still enjoy what I’m doing, and I don’t have any plans on quitting anytime soon.

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For more information on Strickland’s upcoming shows in the area, search “Steve Strickland Duo” on Facebook and a listing of events will appear.

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