Steve Simpson: News

Misty and I got married on March 3rd, 2010! We had a simple, private ceremony, just the two of us and the minister, at Glencairn Garden in Rock Hill. It had snowed the night before and the garden was beautiful, with a dusting of snow (see photo in photo gallery). Then we jumped on a plane and headed to St Petersburg, Florida for a beach honeymoon. It was the coldest weather on record, but we didn't mind (check out the photo of Misty all bundled up on the beach). While we were there, we had the roman numeral III tattooed on our big toes (three is Misty's favorite number, that's why we got married on 3/3, and we used the roman numeral III because it looks the same to someone you are facing as it does to you). Check out the photo. I took my baby Taylor guitar that Misty bought me and, while we were on our honeymoon, I finished up a new song, titled "Faith." We are really happy!

My fiance Misty and I are getting married on March 3rd, 2010! Misty has been the inspiration for all of my recent songs ("Love to Go", "You", "Season Pass", and "Welded"), and I love her so much! She's an amazing woman! If you listen close to the YouTube video from the Swannanoa open mic (link below) you can hear Misty humming along to "You."

There is a photo of Misty and me on vacation in Arizona in July 2009 in the photo gallery.

We're starting a nine-week class at church this week titled, "Two Becoming One," and we're excited about it and our future together. Stay tuned for more information!

Hey, there are videos of three of my songs on YouTube! One is of my new song, "You", recorded at the Swannanoa Gathering open mic by fellow Swannanoa student Steve Gray. He recorded many of the open mic performances and posted them on YouTube. To see mine, click on the following link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiTPyP05dGs.

Also, I just discovered that my son Scott, who is working in South Korea, has recently created two videos around two of my songs. He used photos to illustrate my song, "Part of Me that Hurts," and added the written lyrics. He did a great job! Here is the link to that video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa6VIM_t_ug. He also created a video using photos of his grandfather - my father - to illustrate my song, "Daddy's Hat," a song I wrote about my father. Here is the link to that video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aGpYA5qwy4.

Thanks, Scott!

Hey, I won first place in the songwriting contest at the Suwannee Springfest music festival in Live Oak, Florida! The competition was fierce, I was really lucky to win. The other finalists, (Dean Johanesen, Shawn Lightfoot, Amanda Anne Platt, Chelsea Saddler, and Cheryl Watson) were all great. I did three songs, "Sparrows", "From Under the Bed," and "Dusty Lawn Chairs." "Sparrows" is the song that got me into the finals, and can be heard on this website. The other two songs are fairly new and I haven't recorded them yet. Sorry.

Anyway, as the winner of the songwriting contest, I will get a slot on the main stage at next year's Suwannee Springfest, which will be a lot of fun. I'm really looking forward to it.

I've just been notified that I've been selected as one of the six finalists in the song contest of the Suwannee Springfest music festival in Live Oak, Florida! My song, "Sparrows" is the song that got me into the finals. So, I'll compete in the finals at the festival on March 27th at 7:00 pm. The finalists will each do three songs. I was in the finals in 2002, and came in second.

Well, I came in second in the song contest at the Flat Rock Music Festival. My friend Herschel Lee Brown went with me to the festival and sang awesome harmony and played great guitar. Thanks a bunch, Brownie! My friend Ken Kiser, who moved from Charlotte to Atlanta five years ago, took first place with a great song. Congrats to Ken. And my friend Rick Spreitzer took third place. Our prizes for second and third place were stage time at The Evening Muse, so Rick and I have decided to book a gig together and bill it as The Flat Rock Bridesmaids. Should be a lot of fun.

I was just notified that my song, "Daddy's Hat" was selected as one of the ten finalists in the songwriting contest for the Flat Rock Music Festival. So, I'll be competing with the other nine songwriters at the festival on September 30th at 11:00 am. Should be fun!

I just finished my first CD, titled "Better Late". It was recorded at Chris Rosser's studio in Asheville, and features Chris Rosser on keyboard, guitar and bass guitar, David Holtzclaw, Herschel Lee Brown, Lea Kulhmann, Shana Blake, Reeve Coobs, Leah Howard, Meredith Laney, and Lynn Rosser on harmony vocals, Eliot Wadopian on upright bass, River Guerguerian on percussion, and Dave Johnson on dobro, mandolin, pedal steel, fiddle, banjo, viola, cello and violin.