Daryl Mark Stuermer (born November 27, 1952) is an American musician, songwriter, singer, and record producer best known for playing the guitar and bass for Genesis during live shows, and lead guitar for Phil Collins during most solo tours and albums.[1] He has also released nine solo albums, and tours with his Daryl Stuermer Band.

Daryl Stuermer
Stuermer performing with Genesis in 2022.
Stuermer performing with Genesis in 2022.
Background information
Born (1952-11-27) November 27, 1952 (age 72)
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Genres
Instruments
  • Guitar
  • bass
Years active1970–present
Websitedarylstuermer.com

Early life

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Stuermer was born on November 27, 1952, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[2] He cites Duane, his elder brother of two years, also a musician, who introduced him to music by Elvis Presley and Ray Charles. As a youngster he became a fan of the instrumental rock band The Ventures, which "really got me going".[3] He began to play the guitar at age eleven, and moved into jazz guitar four years later.[3][4] In 1970, Stuermer graduated from St. Francis High School in St. Francis, Wisconsin.

Career

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Early bands

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In the early 1970s, Stuermer formed his Milwaukee-based jazz rock band Sweetbottom, playing local gigs five nights a week.[4] It was during one of these gigs in 1975 that keyboardist George Duke, then of The Mothers of Invention with Frank Zappa, noticed him[4] and suggested his name to jazz violinist Jean-Luc Ponty, who was looking for a guitarist to join his own band. After a successful audition, Stuermer became a full time member and is featured on three of their albums released between 1975 and 1977: Aurora, Imaginary Voyage, and Enigmatic Ocean.[4][2]

In addition to Ponty, he played on Duke's solo albums I Love the Blues, She Heard My Cry and Liberated Fantasies.[5]

Genesis

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Stuermer in 1980 performing with Genesis

In late 1977, Stuermer, on insistence of friend Alphonso Johnson, was recommended as a replacement for Steve Hackett to support Genesis for live performances. Johnson's audition was unsuccessful, and he put Stuermer's name forward.[6] Stuermer's only exposure to the band was when Ponty played him A Trick of the Tail, and a television clip showing Gabriel singing in costume.[5] A chance meeting with drummer Chester Thompson, who had replaced Bill Bruford as their touring drummer in 1976, convinced Stuermer to go for the audition.[5] His audition with Mike Rutherford took place in early 1978 in New York City, and landed the spot on the same day.[5] He typically plays lead guitar on the Gabriel/Hackett era songs, while playing rhythm guitar/bass on the Banks/Collins/Rutherford era songs. He retained the role of lead guitarist and bass player with the band from 1978 to 1992: he also rejoined them for the 2007 Turn It On Again Tour, and returned for the 2021-2022 The Last Domino? Tour.[citation needed]

Solo career

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During Genesis's break in activity for much of 1979, Stuermer secured work by touring North America with singer Gino Vannelli in support of his album Brother to Brother.[4][5]

In 1981, Stuermer followed Genesis frontman Phil Collins as lead guitarist for Collins' solo career, with a speaking part in the clip for "One More Night" and being mentioned by name in the music video for "Don't Lose My Number". In doing so, he transitioned from what Collins called a "permanent-temporary-part-time member" of Genesis to a "permanent-touring-recording member" of Collins' new group.[2] Stuermer is credited as a writer on several songs that Collins recorded, including Something Happened on the Way to Heaven on ...But Seriously, and "I Don't Wanna Know" on No Jacket Required, which evolved from one of Stuermer's demos.[4]

In 1988, Stuermer released his debut solo album Steppin' Out. He considered making it a more vocal-oriented album having performed with Collins throughout the decade, but he opted to produce a rock instrumental album.[4][7]

Stuermer went on to record Live and Learn, Another Side of Genesis, Waiting in the Wings, Retrofit, The Nylon String Sampler, Rewired: the Electric Collection and Go!. Released in 2002 was a Sweetbottom live reunion album, recorded at Shank Hall in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Stuermer's album Go! was released in early 2007. It contains many older tracks from Stuermer's Sweetbottom days, and includes appearances from Alphonso Johnson, Kostia, John Calarco, and Eric Hervey. Stuermer released the album on Inside Out Records as they offered him greater freedom to explore a musical direction that he wished to pursue. His current project is called Daryl Stuermer - Symphony Concert, which involves band members Kostia, Alan Arber and Eric Hervey and singer Forrest "Woody" Mankowski, recreating classic Genesis material mixed with instrumentals from his solo career.[8]

Equipment

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Stuermer has been a Fender Stratocaster user for most of his career with Phil Collins. His primary guitars have been a Torino Red Eric Clapton Stratocaster[9] and a 3-Tone Sunburst American Standard Stratocaster,[10] though he also played banjo on the Collins song "The Roof Is Leaking". In addition to the Fender Stratocaster in his tenure with Collins and Genesis, he played Gibson RD Artist bass guitars and Ibanez electric guitars in 1978. He then switched to a SUNTECH Model SA-MFSC "Stratocaster Style" guitar from 1978 to 1984 and used a Shergold Bass Guitar (1980), a Fender Precision Bass guitar in 1981/1982, a Strata (Status Graphite) bass guitar and a Roland guitar (1983–84), a Steinberger bass guitar and guitar (1986/1987), a Yamaha bass guitar in 1992 and a Lakland custom bass guitar in 2007. Stuermer used a Gibson ES-346 in 2004/2005,[8] and as of 2007 he has largely been using a Godin LGXT electric guitar. He also uses a Godin Montreal Premier,[9] a Godin DS-1[9] (a custom guitar that Godin built for Stuermer) and a Sadowsky nylon string electric guitar.[9]

Discography

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Solo albums

Title Release Label
Steppin' Out 1988 GRP
Live & Learn 1998 Urban Island Music
Another Side of Genesis 2000 Urban Island Music
Waiting in the Wings 2001 Urban Island Music
Sweetbottom Live the Reunion 2003 Urban Island Music
Retrofit 2004 Urban Island Music
The Nylon String Sampler 2005 Urban Island Music
Rewired – The Electric Collection 2006 Unicorn Digital/Urban Island, LL
GO! 2007 Inside Out Music
Breaking Cover 2016 Urban Island Music

With Jean-Luc Ponty

Title Release Label
Aurora 1975 Atlantic
Imaginary Voyage 1976 Atlantic
Enigmatic Ocean 1977 Atlantic
Civilized Evil 1980 Atlantic

With George Duke

Title Release Label
I Love The Blues She Heard My Cry 1975 Polydor
Liberated Fantasies 1976 BASF

With Joan Armatrading

Title Release Label
The Key 1983 A&M

With Frida Lyngstad (ABBA)

Title Release Label
Something's Going On 1982 Epic (UK)

With Tony Banks (Genesis)

Title Release Label
The Fugitive 1983 Charisma
Still 1991 Giant (US), Virgin (EU)
Strictly Inc 1995 Virgin

With Mike Rutherford

Title Release Label
Acting Very Strange 1982 Atlantic/WEA

With Philip Bailey

Title Release Label
Chinese Wall 1984 Columbia

With Phil Collins

Title Release Label
Face Value 1981 Virgin
Hello, I Must Be Going! 1982 Atlantic
No Jacket Required 1985 Atlantic
...But Seriously 1989 Atlantic
Serious Hits... Live! 1990 Atlantic
Dance into the Light 1996 Atlantic
A Hot Night in Paris 1998 Atlantic
...Hits 1998 Atlantic
Testify 2002 Atlantic
The First Final Farewell Tour 2004 Warner Music Vision
Phil Collins: Roseland Ballroom 2010 Eagle Vision

With Genesis

Title Release Label
Three Sides Live 1982 Atlantic
Knebworth Concert (Various Artists) 1990 Polydor
Genesis Live-The Way We Walk Vol 1 1992 Atlantic
Genesis Live-The Way We Walk Vol 2 1993 Atlantic
Live Over Europe 2007 2007 Atlantic

Collaborations

  • 1986 : Marilyn Martin from Marilyn Martin - Daryl composed the music for the song Wildest Dreams and plays on it as well.
  • 2004 : Crossing the Jordan - producer.
  • 2015 : 1985 from Martin Levac - Daryl plays on the song I am sorry

References

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  1. ^ "Daryl Stuermer | Biography, Albums, Streaming Links". AllMusic. 1952-11-27. Retrieved 2017-03-21.
  2. ^ a b c Masino, Susan; Paul, Les (2003). Famous Wisconsin Musicians. Badger Books. pp. 153–154. ISBN 978-1-878569-88-2. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
  3. ^ a b Negrin, David (19 September 2007). "Rewired & Ready to Go: An Interview with Daryl Stuermer". World of Genesis. Archived from the original on 13 August 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Milkowski, Bill (December 1988). "Pro File: A Guitar Hero's Genesis". Guitar World. pp. 24, 30. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  5. ^ a b c d e Mulhern, Tom (September 1984). "Daryl Stuerer: On Tour With Genesis". Guitar Player. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  6. ^ "Bassist Alphonso Johnson speaks online to TEJ". The Evil Jam. 17 August 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  7. ^ Album – Daryl Stuermer – Steppin Out thegenesisarchive.co.uk, accessed May 20, 2021.
  8. ^ a b Prasad, Anil (2007). "Daryl Stuermer: On the go". Innerviews. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  9. ^ a b c d "Daryl Stuermer | Gear Talk". 10 August 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-08-10. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  10. ^ "Daryl Stuermer". Facebook.com. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
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