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I was born
Stephen Matthew Wiggins II on February 24, 1945 at Baker hospital in
Charleston, South Carolina. I grew up
in a musical family. My father Roscoe (Shorty) Wiggins was a great
fiddle player. He played Blue Grass and Country fiddle and he and
my mother would sing harmony together. They had four sons and two
daughters. We were all exposed to music as we were growing up. He
especially concentrated on teaching the boys how to play. I
started playing piano at the age of 8 and my three brothers, Charles,
Cleve (my twin brother) and Bill played guitar and bass. We had an
instant family band.
When I was 11
years old we played a radio show with dad in Lake City, S. C.
When I was 15 we
started playing music with some friends at Canteens around the
Charleston, S.C. area. I would make $6.00 a night playing with my brothers and a drummer
named Ronnie.
Then Cleve met
Leroy Thompson. Cleve played a short time with the Villagers and they
asked me to join the band.
I became the
only keyboard player with the Villagers and was the with the group from
the beginning and filmed all the TV shows for the entire duration of the
Villager Square.
My musical
history is as follows:
(2005) At
present I am playing music with the well established band, “The Melody
Makers” from Beaufort, S.C. See their website,
www.melodymakerssc.com
Also, I am
currently working with a trio, my brother Charles (lead vocals and guitar)
and Kevin Clayton (lead vocals and drums) where I play keyboards, left-hand
keyboard bass and
vocals.
(2003-2004)
“Outrider” a country band
(2000) “Rick
Strickland and the Heartbeats” – Trio -
(vocals and
guitar) Rick Strickland from Columbia, S.C.
(drums) Manning
Westbury from Georgetown, S.C.
(keyboards,
left-hand bass and vocals) Steve Wiggins
(1992-1998)
“Hot Pepper” house band at the Radisson Hotel in Charleston for 5 years.
(lead singer)
Bill Driscoll from North Carolina
(bass) Paul
Gainey from Charleston
(drums) Tommy
Capo
(keyboards)
Steve Wiggins
(1987-1989)
“Blue Steel” our lead singer was Robin Lynn
(1985-1987) on
the road with “Mink”
(Band leader and
drums) Mark Blanton
(lead singer)
Tereace Honneycutt
(guitar) Gene
West
(bass) David
Beal
(keyboards)
Steve Wiggins
(1975-1982)
“Punch” House band at the Kangaroo Club
(singer) Bobby
Alvarez
(singer) Donia
Bates
(guitar) Ralph
Baxter
(bass) Jeff
Holt
(drums) Eddie
Wilcox
(1975-1982)
“The Legg” House band at the Kangaroo Club
(lead singer)
Pat Taylor
(guitar) Eddie
Driggers
(bass) Jeff
Holt
(drums) Marion
Moore
(keyboards)
Steve Wiggins
(1975-1976)
“Bootlegg” House band at Sassy Fats Club in Charleston
(lead singer)
Dana Douglas formerly of The Villagers
(guitar) Mike
Suggs
(bass) Jimmy
Norris
(drums) Eddie
Wilcox
(keyboards)
Steve Wiggins
Madonna Geddings
joined the band later on vocals
(1971) “The
Dardanelles”
(vocals and
guitar) Joe Graham
(guitar) Mike
Suggs
(bass) Jimmy
Norris
(drums) Larry
Rollins
(Trumpet)
Charles Straney
(Sax) Greg
Smith
(keyboards)
Steve Wiggins
(1970) “Mercy
Hump” where I was the leader of the band in Charlotte,
N.C.
(lead singer)
Bruce West
(guitar) Pat
Walters
(bass) Carl
Jarvey and later on Bass, Chuck King
(drums) Johnny
Pace
(keyboards)
Steve Wiggins
(1970)
“Headstone Circus”
(vocal and
drums) Eddie Wilcox
(guitar) Jimmy
Collins
(bass) Mike
Sulier
(keyboards)
Steve Wiggins
(1969) “The
Wiggins Brothers Band and part-Time Roofing Company”
(guitar) Cleve
Wiggins
(bass) Charles
Wiggins
(drums) Larry
Collins
(keyboards)
Steve Wiggins
(1964-1968) The
Villagers
Today, I live on
James Island (Charleston) South Carolina with my wife Robin and my 3
children, my son, Stephen Matthew III who is 14, my daughters, Anna Lee
Karen, 11 and Catie Lane Nicole, 7.
I wouldn’t
change anything in my life that wouldn’t allow me to have my 3 wonderful
children.
And God has
blessed me with my young family and a piece of the pie, even at 60 years
of age.
Steve Wiggins
October 29, 2005
