These days, Steve Lynch is busy working on his autobiography.  Does he have any regrets?  “I am reliving my experiences while in the process and I think to myself, ‘I wouldn’t change a thing, because all these experiences, good or bad, have made me who I am today,” he says.  I truly believe people are here to complete a personal mission, if you believe in that sort of stuff.  And in looking back on Steve’s life and career, his purpose is clear:  to make a lasting impact through his music.  At the age of 15, he decided to dedicate his life to music when Jimi Hendrix died.  He also switched from playing the bass to the guitar, and today he is known for his guitar playing technique (trademark two-handed ‘eight-finger’ tapping  technique) and dubbed the ‘Two-handed guitarist’.  He is also recognized for his mid-1980’s hit Turn Up the Radio, which helped him to earn the honor of ‘Guitar Solo of the Year’ by Guitar Magazine.  That one song has appeared in the movie Hot Tub Time Machine and was voted #93 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Hardrock Songs of all time.  These are some of Steve Lynch’s accolades including playing on 6 albums, one of which went Gold (Sign In Please).  I’ll leave it to him to fill in the blanks in his autobiography, which I’m positive will make the ‘The New York Times Best Seller List’.  To make that prestigious list, you must sell between 5k and 10k copies per week, and the sales must be ‘diverse’ sales.  I’m sure he can do it!

Obviously, the COVID19 pandemic has had a major impact on the industry that thrives on live shows; and artists have to become pretty creative and technologically savvy to come up with alternative ways to keep a captive audience in order to stay relevant and survive.  Although the industry has had its peaks and valleys, it has been on a steady downward spiral since the late 70’s when music sales began to slide due to media duplication/sharing. Music execs complain that teens tape and exchange their prized albums.  Record companies cast an industry wide campaign to prevent home taping (see Decline of the Music Industry I and II in this issue). However, the industry did explode in the 80’s again with the advent of the CD player.  Has COVID pulled the industry so far down to the point of no return this time, or can it make a comeback?  Some artists see lockdowns as an opportunity to create great music, while others view it as the proverbial ‘straw that broke the camel’s back’.  “It’s very difficult to predict when and how the entertainment industry is going to come back from this pandemic, as there are so many variables at play. A large part depends on if or when there is a reliable and safe vaccine to inoculate people with (something preferably with no association to Bill Gates). I myself believe it will come back strong within a year. But we have to take into account how many promoters and other professionals in the industry may have found an alternative income, and if they’re willing and able to come back. I still have faith though. People need live entertainment, and if there’s a will, there’s a way,” he says.

Blue Neptune is his most current project for which he is extremely proud.  He says, “It is composed of people I’ve known for many years, some of which I’ve worked with before and others I’ve always wanted to. It’s a project we are looking at as being completely experimental with no boundaries whatsoever. Our main objective: Do something unique that others will enjoy, experiment with unexplored soundscapes, write only what we feel without the constraints of commercialism. Personally, I’m not looking at this project to be what people would typically expect from me. I want people to see a completely different side creatively.”  Although Steve has been in the industry for many years, he is on a journey to be the best musician he can be by stepping out of his comfort zone.  Therefore, I get the idea that he is less obsessed with seeking praise than he is at becoming an even better musician.  To view upcoming projects and release dates, visit Steve Lynch on Facebook.  His music can be heard on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, IHeartRadio, Deezer, and PlayMusic.n

1.   Vintage Guitar published an article entitled ‘Guitar Heros of the 80’s, Part I (by Wolf Marshall), for which you are featured along with other notable artists.  You appear so humbled by each and every interview.  How, after all these years in the industry, have you managed to remain so ‘down to earth’ and modest given your iconic status as a legendary musician?

Steve:  It’s really as simple as this… I feel very fortunate to have had the success and recognition I’ve received throughout my career. I’m humbled by the fact that people love what I do and have followed me with their continued support. It truly is a dream come true, and I will never take for granted how things have turned out so well. I feel blessed.

1. Q.  You mentioned in a previous interview with Jaimie Poulos of Metal Express Radio in December 2019, that THE place to play that is on your bucket list is London’s Wembley Stadium because of its history.  What other items are on your bucket list?  And what do you feel blessed for (Zen question)?

Steve:  Wembley Stadium is definitely one of the venues that ranks up there as one of the top, but there’s also places I would love to not only play but visit that are not particularly music venues. For instance, Machu Picchu in Peru, the Parthenon in Greece, the  Colosseum in Rome, the Acropolis in Athens, the Giza Plateau, etc.,etc. I’ve seen many places while on tour with Autograph, teaching clinics in 20 countries, and just travelling abroad by myself. Each time I’ve been to a different country, I’ve not only learned something about their culture, but learned something about myself as well. My zen would be to carry on with my adventures of travel so I can continue to evolve as a person.

1. Q.  A noticeable trait about you and your career is that you are adaptable.  It was Charles Darwin that once wrote, “It is not the strongest of species that survives, nor the most intelligent.  It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”  And your career has had so many twists and turns, yet you come out on top each and every time.  You adapt.  How have you been so good at navigating the waters of the industry?

Steve:  First of all, I love that quote by Charles Darwin because it is the truth. One’s adaptability is key to survival. I believe my survival has mainly been based upon ‘instinct’. When you see something fail, try a different approach or try something new. I think intuition, rational thought, learning by your mistakes and keeping enthusiastic is essential. I love this quote by Winston Churchill: “Success is the ability to move from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm”.

1. Q.  Currently, you are working on your autobiography, which will undoubtedly be on the best-seller’s list.  What is the process of writing your book, and are you reliving your experiences while doing so?  In looking back on your life and career, what are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned along the way?  Any regrets?

Steve:  I appreciate your confidence! I too think it will do very well because of the fact my life has been so bizarre! Lol! I think people will be shocked with all I’ve been through. Truth is much much stranger than fiction. The process has been tedious and arduous, but enjoyable at the same time. I started out years ago by just jotting down little tidbits of flash memories, then it started to accumulate at a highly accelerated rate. I couldn’t stop all the memories flooding in. I thought to myself, “Will all of this even fit into one book?” I’m currently putting everything into chronological order, which is a major undertaking in itself. I am reliving my experiences while in the process and I think to myself, “I wouldn’t change a thing”… because all these experiences, good or bad, have made me who I am today.

1. Q.  Let’s play word association.  For each person/band who you have shared a stage with, crossed paths with, and/or was an influence, say the first word that first comes to mind:

Steve:

Jimi Hendrix: Extraterrestrial.

Emmett Chapman: Professor

Randy Rand: Funny

Motley Crue: Asylum

David Lee Roth: Flamboyant

Keni Richards: Insane

Steve Plunkett: Businessman

Jimi Bell: Mastery

1. Q.  Tell me about Blue Neptune, and do you have a completion date?

Steve:  Blue Neptune is comprised of people I’ve known for many years, some of which I’ve worked with before and others I’ve always wanted to. It’s a project we are looking at as being completely experimental with no boundaries whatsoever. Our main objective: Do something unique that others will enjoy, experiment with unexplored soundscapes, write only what we feel without the constraints of commercialism. Personally, I’m not looking at this project to be what people would typically expect from me… I want people to see a completely different side creatively.

1. Q.  Your last album was Get Off Your Ass in 2017 with Autograph.  Any plans on working with the band to put out some more music?

Steve:  No plans for that. Jimi Bell is now the guitarist and is doing an amazing job! I think they are going to do great things and wish them all the best. For me, I’m just on a different quest musically.

1. Q.  You’ve been a part on so many albums starting in 1984 with Sign In Please followed by That’s the Stuff, Loud and Clear, Missing Pieces, More Missing Pieces, The Anthology, Louder, and Get Off Your Ass.  And when Autograph shortly disbanded, you released your solo album Network 23 in 2003, which had a totally different sound and vibe.  Out of all of them, which is the most personal? Which was the most fun to make? And which was the most difficult to produce?

Steve:   Loud and Clear is my favorite Autograph album. Working with Andy Johns producing was an incredible experience and our writing was at its best by then.  You can really hear the maturity in the band writing- and performance-wise. The most fun to make, of course was our debut album Sign In Please. it was like “Hey guys, we’re signed to RCA and in the studio doing an album. How cool is that!!!” The most difficult to produce was  my solo album Network 23. The reason being is that I not only wrote and arranged most all of the material but I played all the instruments, except for drums, sax and vocals. Having to wear that many hats plus producing was a real challenge… but I’d do it again with no hesitation.

1. Q.  Where can your fans find your new book, and do you have a release date?

Steve:  I’m looking at a release date for my autobiography by the end of 2020 or the beginning of 2021. It will be available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or any other retail or online outlet. I’ll also have it available through links on social media.

“I Wouldn’t Change a Thing.” — Steve Lynch

By Jordonna Lobese

Photos by Michael Cox of Michael Cox Productions (mcoxproductions@gmail.com)