..:: StarinkWorld - Lucy Steymel ::..
Lucy Steymel was a US-born musician, composer and songwriter. In the late 70s Ed Starink composed several songs for her second album "Goodbye to grey".
This album was released on the Dutch label "Utopia" and was produced by Foppe Damsté.
All information were taken from the official Lucy Steymel website (www.lucysteymel.com). We would like to thank Peter Timmerman for his kind permission to use the original biography for the undermentioned abridged version.
The complete biography can be found on the official Lucy Steymel website www.lucysteymel.com.
Lucy Steymel was born on February 2, 1953 in Wichita Falls (Texas, USA) as Lucy Ann Steimel.
In 1972 she graduates from High School, where she excells in music. She receives honours as a cellist playing in the State Orchestra.
When Lucy Steymel has a disagreement with her father about which university she should attend, she decides in 1973 to go to Europe. A decision based on the belief that the best musical teachers are in Europe.
Steymel goes to Berlin, Germany. She has relatives in Berlin and hopes to find a good musical education through them. Finding a suitable teacher didn't turn out be to that easy after all. To earn some money she works as an au pair. She also plays with a chamber orchestra and sings in cafe's, accompanying herself on guitar.
Lucy Steymel meets another American girl in Hannover and together they go to Rotterdam in 1976.
She becomes friends with a few musicians and through them, she gets her first gigs as singer.
Early in 1977 Lucy Steymel forms a group of her own with Jack van Rossum on keyboards, Harry Emmery on bass and John Bukman on drums.
When guitarist-producer Harry Sacksioni hears the Lucy Steymel Band he calls label representative Herman van Veen from Harlekijn records.
Van Veen gives Sacksioni free rein for the album. The results became "Gift from a Stranger".
In 1979 she records her second album "Goodbye to Grey".
Compared to the first album "Gift from a Stranger" this album sounds more American and less modest. This is due to the production of Foppe Damsté. Ed Starink did all arrangements, plays the additional keyboards and composed also the music for some of the songs.
In 1981 Lucy Steymel joins the Dutch pre-selection for the Eurovision songcontest. With "Een nieuw begin" (A New Start) and "Stap voor stap" (Step By Step). This track is later recorded in English as "One By One". Both tracks result in a shared fifth place in the contest.
The album "Three's a Charm" is released in 1982 on a 'major' label, CBS. Producer is Pim Koopman (drummer and a driving force behind the Dutch symphonic rock group KAYAK).
With Koopman's production and a load of both good commercial and artistic pop songs, "Three's A Charm" was ready for the charts.
In 1982 the album "Three's a Charm" is awarded an Edison (an important award for artistic performance in the Netherlands).
Between 1990 and 1994 several Dutch artists use songs written or co-written by Lucy Steymel.
Famous Dutch singer Rob de Nijs takes the lead with at least 6 songs. He also asks her for translations for his English album "Stranger In Your Land".
Early 2000 Lucy Steymel's health suffers a reverse.
On February 27, 2006 she slips away, succumbing to the undisclosed illness
Lucy Steymel died at the age of 52.
Biography by: Peter Timmerman/John Pascoe (www.lucysteymel.com)
Abridged version by: Andreas Heinz
Photography by: unknown / taken from the official website
The photo is used with courtesy of Peter Timmerman from lucysteymel.com.
We would like to thank Peter Timmerman for his kind cooperation.