Steve Parr(III)

Steve Parr has had a career that has encompassed a wasted youth as a rock musician, midi software developer, lecturer, journalist, live event producer, film sound recordist, keyboard programmer, studio entrepreneur, surround sound pioneer, film composer and music engineer. Born in Cardiff, Steve was promoting concerts by local bands by the time he was 14, all with the ulterior motive of sneaking his own group onto the bottom of the bill. His first professional gig was relief pianist (!) with local rockers Shakin' Stevens & The Sunsets while still at school. In 1975 he moved to London to join art rock band 'Burlesque', who although quickly signed to Clive Davis's new label Arista at a gig at the legendary Nashville Rooms were given the kiss of death when Melody Maker nominated them as the 'band most likely to succeed' on the front page of their Jan 1st 1977 edition. They naturally disintegrated into obscurity shortly afterwards.

A distressing stint as cocktail pianist causing indigestion to the diners at the Elephant on the River combined with a surreal musical journey with Desmond Dekker, Adam Ant, Geno Washington and Nicholas Parsons followed until he established his first recording studio in Soho's Dean Street.

He was sound producer for 'Concert for Nelson Mandela' at Wembley and 'John Lennon 50th Anniversary' in Liverpool, both live television broadcasts following on in the tradition of 'Live Aid', and producer of albums for 'The Secret Policeman's Ball' for Amnesty International.

In 1990 he founded studio Hear No Evil in West Kensington, later moving down the road to revive Lillie Yard Studios after Hans Zimmer's tenure as owner. During this time he was earning a solid reputation as a pioneer of music surround sound holding seminars in Europe & USA and winning industry awards for his mixes including one for his live 96k/6.1 recording 'Reich at the Roxy'. After winning an award for best original soundtrack composition for Rwandan genocide film '100 Days' in 1998, he has now recorded and mixed a huge number of scores for film and television, many of them in surround including his mix of 'Who Are You' which was used as the title music for US crime series CSI.

Along the way he devised an early midi course for Dave Ward's Gateway Studios, was a music software engineer having developed the first commercial editing program for the Yamaha DX7 and was a regular contributor to Sound on Sound and Studio Sound magazines on technical issues. In 2005 he was elected Vice Chairman of the Music Producer's Guild.

Having been over the years a regular recording and mixing engineer for many BASCA members in January 2011 Steve closed Hear No Evil but continues to work on film, television, theatre and contemporary dance productions and have frequent accidents on his bicycles. Failing further injury he'll be present to receive a Gold Badge Award from BASCA at the Savoy on October 2nd. 2018