Music was always a part of the home for this Tulsa native. Old time Gospel, Big Band Swing, crooners like Johnnie Mathis, stage and screen Musicals, Folk, Country, and the Beatles were some of the varied styles Steve grew up on. Steve's parent's felt music was a necessary ingredient in bringing up their 3 sons in a well-balanced and nurturing environment. Steve began his musical training on the clarinet and played in the junior high school band. His junior year in high school he received a Gibson acoustic guitar for Christmas and started playing folk songs immediately with the help of the Mel Bay chord book. Less than one year later, he wrote his first song. His introduction to folk music was through the sounds of Peter, Paul, and Mary who brought in songs from the likes of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, etc. Steve graduated from Tulsa's Edison High School in 1966 and headed for OU. While attending Oklahoma University, Steve played the lead and co-wrote two song and dance acts for a local variety show. His junior year, Steve joined with two house-mates to form a folk trio called The Lid (even though he was too naïve to know what the name meant). He lost his naïveté' soon after that due to the Vietnam War and on-campus protests following the Kent State tragedy and the Draft Lottery. His senior year he formed his first revolutionary rockin' dance band Alsace Lorraine. Music style ranged from Led Zeppelin to Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. After graduation in 1970 the group disbanded only to reform in Tulsa 18 months later as The Great Potempkin. Steve's songwriting was just beginning to flourish and expand into jazz influenced rock, love ballads, and folk/country pickin'. Steve moved to Austin in 1973 with his first wife Becky and began playing folk clubs with about 50-50 original and cover tunes. Soon, the old band members wandered to Austin and the Five Dollar Band was formed after receiving only $5 total for a gig at Toad Hall. "What the world needs is a good $5 band" the members would say. His first album Steve Weichert & The Five Dollar Band was released in 1975 on Barky Records. Recorded at Nightfire Inc. in Norman, Oklahoma and at Odyssey Sound in Austin, Texas, This album was acoustic with no percussion. The band added a drummer and some dance tunes and went on the road a year later for a 19 month stint that would drive all the members and their traveling "commune" almost insane. After the imminent breakup in 1977 Steve separated from his wife, moved to Norman, Oklahoma and got back to writing. He released his 2nd album, Oklahoma Bossa Nova, in 1979 on the Desire Records label. This album recorded at the No Sweat Studios in Norman was a much larger production than the first and featured only central Oklahoma musicians. Steve joined The Sensational Shoes out of Norman which played a mix of cover dance tunes and original love songs. After about a year he dropped out to try his hand at a few occupations other than music in a few other locations which landed him in OKC as part-owner and GM of the Santa Fe Restaurant. He met his 2nd wife Judy and started work on his 3rd album If You've Ever Been In Love which was released in 1984. Soon after, the world went black for a few years with the tragic murder of his wife. He left the restaurant and moved back to Austin and started a career as a remodeling contractor. Even though he never stopped playing and writing, Steve only played in public 3 or 4 times in the next 15 years. He was able to release his 4th album in 1994 with the help of long time friend and guitar mentor, Jay Gabbard. This group of songs titled Abide By The Light was "my spiritual album", he admits. That same year he earned certification as a registered massage therapist. Steve's skills as a master carpenter kept him afloat during these darker years. In 1999, Steve met his current wife, Andrea Turner and music became an integral part of his life once again. Married in 2000, he began practicing and singing with a new soulfulness in his voice and in his life. This is clearly recognizable in his 5th and latest album released in the fall of 2003. Some of Austin's finest musicians are featured on this CD entitled Between the Lines. It is a collection of old and new songs. Steve's music has been described as "soulful folk ballads with a jazz twist".
Steve's parent's felt music was a necessary ingredient in bringing up their 3 sons in a well-balanced and nurturing environment. Steve began his musical training on the clarinet and played in the junior high school band. His junior year in high school he received a Gibson acoustic guitar for Christmas and started playing folk songs immediately with the help of the Mel Bay chord book. Less than one year later, he wrote his first song. His introduction to folk music was through the sounds of Peter, Paul, and Mary who brought in songs from the likes of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, etc. Steve graduated from Tulsa's Edison High School in 1966 and headed for OU.
While attending Oklahoma University, Steve played the lead and co-wrote two song and dance acts for a local variety show. His junior year, Steve joined with two house-mates to form a folk trio called The Lid (even though he was too naïve to know what the name meant). He lost his naïveté' soon after that due to the Vietnam War and on-campus protests following the Kent State tragedy and the Draft Lottery. His senior year he formed his first revolutionary rockin' dance band Alsace Lorraine. Music style ranged from Led Zeppelin to Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
After graduation in 1970 the group disbanded only to reform in Tulsa 18 months later as The Great Potempkin. Steve's songwriting was just beginning to flourish and expand into jazz influenced rock, love ballads, and folk/country pickin'.
Steve moved to Austin in 1973 with his first wife Becky and began playing folk clubs with about 50-50 original and cover tunes. Soon, the old band members wandered to Austin and the Five Dollar Band was formed after receiving only $5 total for a gig at Toad Hall. "What the world needs is a good $5 band" the members would say. His first album Steve Weichert & The Five Dollar Band was released in 1975 on Barky Records. Recorded at Nightfire Inc. in Norman, Oklahoma and at Odyssey Sound in Austin, Texas, This album was acoustic with no percussion. The band added a drummer and some dance tunes and went on the road a year later for a 19 month stint that would drive all the members and their traveling "commune" almost insane. After the imminent breakup in 1977 Steve separated from his wife, moved to Norman, Oklahoma and got back to writing. He released his 2nd album, Oklahoma Bossa Nova, in 1979 on the Desire Records label. This album recorded at the No Sweat Studios in Norman was a much larger production than the first and featured only central Oklahoma musicians.
Steve joined The Sensational Shoes out of Norman which played a mix of cover dance tunes and original love songs. After about a year he dropped out to try his hand at a few occupations other than music in a few other locations which landed him in OKC as part-owner and GM of the Santa Fe Restaurant. He met his 2nd wife Judy and started work on his 3rd album If You've Ever Been In Love which was released in 1984.
Soon after, the world went black for a few years with the tragic murder of his wife. He left the restaurant and moved back to Austin and started a career as a remodeling contractor. Even though he never stopped playing and writing, Steve only played in public 3 or 4 times in the next 15 years. He was able to release his 4th album in 1994 with the help of long time friend and guitar mentor, Jay Gabbard. This group of songs titled Abide By The Light was "my spiritual album", he admits. That same year he earned certification as a registered massage therapist. Steve's skills as a master carpenter kept him afloat during these darker years.
In 1999, Steve met his current wife, Andrea Turner and music became an integral part of his life once again. Married in 2000, he began practicing and singing with a new soulfulness in his voice and in his life. This is clearly recognizable in his 5th and latest album released in the fall of 2003. Some of Austin's finest musicians are featured on this CD entitled Between the Lines. It is a collection of old and new songs.
Steve's music has been described as "soulful folk ballads with a jazz twist".
