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Steve Segal, who was a guitarist for Canadian rock legends April Wine from 1992 – 1994, has passed away. Details on his passing are currently unavailable.
April Wine’s long time guitarist and now band leader, Brian Greenway, shared via Facebook, “Steve Segal. A friend and April Wine member ’92-’95. May you R.I.P.”
According to his “Artist Bio” at ReverbNation, Steve Segal was a Montreal-based guitar player, writer, producer, and engineer who has worked with April Wine, Aldo Nova, Celine Dion, The Ramones, Jon Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper, Michel Pagliaro, Niagara, Eric Lapointe, Roch Voisine, Robert Charlebois, Nanette Workman, and many others.
Steve started his career as a professional musician in 1977 playing for Quebec’s well-known rock ‘n roll diva, Nanette Workman.
In 1978 he started working as a studio guitarist, logging many hours in the studio with such talents as Michel Pagliaro, Nanette Workman, George Thurston (Boule Noire), Gino Soccio, and others.
In 1980, while living in New York City with Talking Heads’ bass player, Busta Cherry Jones, Steve worked with members of the Talking Heads, and recorded two songs with the Ramones becoming the only other guitar player besides Johnny Ramone ever to record with the Ramones in studio.
After playing almost every club and theatre in Manhattan over the next two years,including shows with members of the Talking Heads, Joey Ramone, Busta Cherry Jones, Jimmy Rip, Bernie Worrell and others, Steve grew weary of the new wave and punk scenes that were so “in vogue” during that period, so he returned to Montreal to put together a small recording studio where he started collaborating with well-known Quebec hit songwriter Angelo Finaldi writing and producing French Quebec artists.
In 1984 Steve co-wrote, arranged, and played on a Radio Activitee top-ten single for Nanette Workman entitled “Bad Boy”.
In 1988 Steve wrote, arranged, played and produced the award-winning Les Nuits S’ens Vient for Polygram recording artist Nico Matisse at Steve’s personal studio in Montreal. On this project, he worked closely with Corky Laing of the famed band Mountain who was head of A&R for Polygram Records at the time. Around the same time, Steve also recorded Alice Cooper’s “Freedom” in pre-production of the comeback album Raise Your Fist.
While touring Quebec with Michel Pagliaro from 1987 through 1989, Steve also spent many hours during his off-time recording with various Quebec artists such as Aldo Nova, Celine Dion, Michel Pagliaro, Marie Denise Pelletier, Patrick Bourgieous, 6AM, and Robert Charlebois. During this time Steve also performed and co-produced quite a few jingles for major companies such as Molson, Labatt, Chrysler, Rainbow Jeans, Laurentide and many more.
In 1989 Steve played slide guitar on Aldo Nova’s album Blood On The Bricks and worked one-on-one with both Aldo and Jon Bon Jovi who co-produced the album with Aldo at Le Studio in Morin Heights.
At the end of 1989, he left Quebec to tour 22 European countries over the next two and a half years with the Parisian rock band Niagara, with whom he also recorded a live 4-song CD in Germany
Upon his return from Europe in 1992, he was asked to join the Canadian icon rock band April Wine. During his 4-year, 2-album stint with April Wine, Steve also did sessions for others during his off-time, playing on several records including Eric Lapointe’s smash debut Obsession. Steve also co-wrote the song “Better Slow Down” with Myles Goodwyn on the April Wine CD Attitude. After parting April Wine on amicable terms, Steve started producing local acts while still playing live around Montreal.
In 1995, Steve was hired by Aldo Nova once again, this time to play on Celine Dion’s 17-million seller, Grammy award-winning album Falling Into You.
Some tributes to Steve Segal can be viewed below:
