Performance History

Stephen Dakin

Music

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I always get asked where I’m from.  Well, there is no simple answer for that actually.  I was born in NYC, lived in upstate NY (Dutchess County) till I was in 8th grade.  Then I moved to the Pocono Mountains in PA.  I graduated high school there.  I’ve had a drivers license in 5 states.  (PA, VA, TN, TX, & FL) Most of my family still lives in NY, but I still love the Pocono’s even though I don’t have any family there anymore.  Just alot of very close dear friends.I got into music kinda late in life.  Most kids start in 5th grade, I didn’t start till I reached 7th.  I remember the day the light switch went off.  I was in 5th grade, and the school band performed a concert.  You know, one of those concerts the school made you sit through.  I remember seeing one of the trumpet players, and yes I still remember his name, stand up and play a solo.  I wanted to play the trumpet from that day on.  My family moved from the school district the start of the next school year.  I didn’t peruse my fascination with the trumpet for another year.  The school district we moved too had 7th & 8th grade in the same building.  Jr & Sr high all in one.  I remember going down too the band directors office, her name was Miss Tyler.  I told her I wanted to play the trumpet.  She hooked me up with an 11th grader named Tyler, so he could start giving me lessons.  I found it pretty cool the band directors last name, and my new teachers first name was the same.  I started playing and was sitting 2nd chair by the end of my 7th grade year.  Around Oct of the next school year is when we moved again.  This time was the Pocono’s.  I went kicking and screaming, but it turned out too be the best thing for my musical development.  You can never say for sure, but I’m positive I would not be a professional musician today if it hadn’t been for that move.High school is where I really found my calling.  I had 4 years of music theory training in high school.  My junior year I realized I had actually learned the piano from all the music theory classes.  I went out and bought a Hanon finger exercise book, and taught myself how to play.  I was always singing in school, and playing the piano was alot easier to sing with, then the trumpet.  I got into all kinds of different music in high school.  I performed in 3 musicals.  Fiddler On The Roof, Grease, and West Side Story.  I was singing in the choir, swing choir, and also a barbershop chorus.  I was in Concert Band, Marching Band, Jazz Band.  I also spent my summers performing in Drum & Bugle Corps.  I started out with the Redding Buccaneers.  Spent one summer with the Bayonne Bridgeman.  Then my last two years in DCI with Dutch Boy from Kitchener, Ont.  I went to college for 2 years at East Stroudsburg University in the Pocono’s.  I went there to get my general ed’s out of the way, before I planned to transfer to North Texas State.  I was all set to head down to TX, when I got a call from a buddy of mine.  He had a full-time gig for me, on the road with a touring top-40 band.  I blew off college, and started living my dream of becoming a professional musician.  And I’ve never turned back.My professional life took a major turn when I discovered “dueling piano’s”  I stumbled into it on Beale St, in Memphis, TN.  I saw the club named “Silky OSullivan’s” but I never walked in because all I saw was 2 pianos.  I assumed it was something like the movie “The Fabulous Baker Boys” so I never had the urge to walk in there.  One Tuesday night I was walking past the club and I heard this guy belting out “Point Of No Return” by Kansas.  Singing & playing the crap out of it.  I walked into the club and had my first taste of the dueling piano concept.  I sat there by myself watching this guy play.  His name is Danny Childress, and I believe he is still playing there.  He saw me watching him, and asked if I played.  I said “A little”.  He invited me up to play a few songs with him.  The first song I did was “New York State Of Mind”.  At the end of the night I was asked if I wanted a job.  I worked that weekend only knowing how to play about 7 songs on piano from memory.  I sat across from Danny and he really helped me out.  Because I was a singer in a band for years, I knew the lyrics to a lot of songs.  Danny would play the songs I didn’t know how to play, and I would sing them.  During that time, I would try and figure out the song while singing it.  Needless to say I do not suggest this method for anyone.  My song library quickly grew from 7 songs to well over 100 in about 2 weeks.  It’s now over 1000.  

Other dueling clubs i’ve performed at: Uptown Funk - Albuquerque, NMBobby McKeys - National Harbor, MDPete’s - Austin, TX - Addison, TX - Ft Worth, TX - Houston-TX - Las Vegas, NVThe Big Bang - St Louis, MO - Nashville, TN - Tempe, AZ - Columbus, OHThe Shout House - San Diego, CA - Glendale, AZErnie Biggs - Kansas City, MO - Branson, MO - Springfield, MOHowl At The Moon - San Antonio, TX - Chicago, IL - Orlando, FLDJ's Dugout - Omaha, NE - Lincoln, NEMichael Murphy's - Oklahoma City, OKLucille’s Rockin Pianos - Milwaukee, WIBlue Moon - Des Moines, IASweet Caroline's - New York, NYCrocodile Rocks - Myrtle Beach, SCWilly D’s - Little Rock, AKChopstix - Seattle, WA - Everett, WABonfire - St Paul, MN - Plymouth, MN88 Keys - Palm Beach Gardens, FLThe Silver Legacy - Reno, NVNY NY Casino - Las Vegas, NVHarrah’s - Las Vegas, NVElaine’s - Asheville, NCRummrunners - Raleigh, NC - Durham, NCPub 13 - Ypsilanti, MN

Dueling Piano Clubs - Full-time staff player 1996    Silky O’Sullivan’s - Memphis, TN1997    Graham Central Station - Nashville, TN1998 - 2002  City Streets - Houston, TX2003 - 2006  Hugh Jorgans - Delray Beach, FL2006    FunKey Nutz - Boca Raton, FL2006 - 2007  The Shout House - Minneapolis, MN  Entertainment Manager2008 - 2010  Howl At The Moon - Houston, TX Entertainment Director2017 - 2019 Norman’s Dueling Piano Bar - Humble, TX  Entertainment Director

Bands1990     In Layman’s Terms - Trumpet, back-up vocals, and computer programing1990 - 1998    The Blues Other Brothers - Trumpet, back-up vocals1990 - 1998    Dogstyle - Lead Vocals, Keys1996    The Lost Dogs - Lead Vocals, Keys & computer programing1992    Nik & The Nice Guys - Vocals, Trumpet, Keys & computer programing1993    Moment’s Notice - Lead Vocals, Keys

I keep this calender updated, so if you are looking to book me and see an opening I should be avalilable.  Click on the email link below to contact me.

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