Douglas Alan Stegmeyer (December 23, 1951 – August 25, 1995) was an American musician who was best known as a bassist and back-up vocalist for Billy Joel. Stegmeyer also performed as bassist for Debbie Gibson and Hall & Oates.
Doug Stegmeyer | |
|---|---|
 Stegmeyer in 1976 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Douglas Alan Stegmeyer |
| Born | December 23, 1951 Flushing, Queens New York City, New York U.S. |
| Origin | New York City |
| Died | August 25, 1995 (aged 43) Smithtown, New York |
| Genres | Rock, pop |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Bass, vocals |
| Years active | 1966–1995 |
| Labels | Columbia |
Life and career
editStegmeyer was born on December 23, 1951, in Flushing, Queens, New York City, New York. In high school, he met Russell Javors, who at age 15 was performing songs with childhood friend Liberty DeVitto. Along with Howard Emerson, the boys formed the band Topper, which performed songs by Javors and attracted Billy Joel's attention. Joel hired Stegmeyer to play bass in his backing band on the Streetlife Serenade tour. At Stegmeyer's recommendation a year and a half later, Emerson,[1] Javors, and DeVitto joined Joel in the studio for his Turnstiles album and for the accompanying tour. Stegmeyer became a core member of Billy Joel's band, playing bass on Joel's studio albums from Turnstiles through The Bridge and on the live albums Songs in the Attic and КОНЦЕРТ. Stegmeyer was dubbed "The Sergeant Of The Billy Joel Band."[2]
Stegmeyer (and Javors) left the band in 1989; according to DeVitto, he was forced out. Stegmeyer subsequently maintained a busy schedule recording and producing.
On August 25, 1995, Stegmeyer died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his Smithtown, New York, home.[3][4]
Legacy
editOn October 23, 2014, Stegmeyer was posthumously inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame, along with Topper and Joel bandmates Richie Cannata, DeVitto, and Javors. The four were inducted primarily for their work with Joel.[5]
See also
editCredits
editWith Billy Joel
- 1976 Turnstiles
- 1977 The Stranger
- 1978 52nd Street
- 1980 Glass Houses
- 1982 The Nylon Curtain
- 1983 An Innocent Man
- 1986 The Bridge
With Phoebe Snow
- 1978 Against the Grain
- 1981 Rock Away
With Melanie
- 1983 Seventh Wave
With Hall & Oates
- 1990 Change of Season
With Debbie Gibson
- 1990 Anything Is Possible
External links
edit- https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/DougStegmeyer?fref=ts (Official Facebook Page dedicated to Doug Stegmeyer)
- Memorial page for Stegmeyer
References
edit- ^ piano-man.de - Archiv: "...but hey, you have to start somewhere, right?" (interview with Howie Emerson) @piano-man.de Archived March 5, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 8-22-2013.
- ^ Long Island Music Hall of Fame Archived May 30, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Ex-band Leader For Billy Joel Found Dead". Spokesman-Review. 27 August 1995. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
- ^ "Baltimore Sun Obit". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-03-05.
- ^ Gamboa, Glenn (October 23, 2014). "Billy Joel Band set to join Piano Man in Long Island Music Hall of Fame". New York Newsday. Retrieved July 14, 2016.