Steve Berkemeier has lived his life immersed in music. As the youngest of nine kids he grew up in a house where the radio and stereos delivered an ever changing playlist of songs that reflected his sibling’s varied tastes ranging from the blue eyed soul of the Righteous Brothers to Motown, Johnny Cash to the Beatles, and Creedence Clearwater Revival to Bob Dlyan. The expansive progression of great music made up the soundtrack of his childhood.
When singer/songwriters emerged on the scene, Berkemeier joined countless others in learning to play the acoustic guitar. In 1977 he attended a concert at Detroit’s Olympia Stadium that featured John Denver, James Taylor, Harry Chapin, and Gordon Lightfoot taking turns performing solo. It was that experience that inspired Berkemeier to pursue his passion as a performer. “It was fascinating to see these great artists captivate an audience of almost 20,000 people with just their voices and a guitar,” Berkemeier said, “and I knew that was something I wanted to do.”
His journey to becoming a solo artist found him lending his vocals and guitar to a number of bands and a stint as a DJ at an oldies station after graduating from college. These combined experiences have led Berkemeier to develop a vast repertoire of songs that he performs ranging from classic rock and country, oldies to contemporary, the best of the classic singer/songwriters and an impressive roster of his own songs.
A gifted storyteller, Berkemeier relates personal stories to set up a number of his original songs while providing the audience with fascinating insights into many popular cover songs he performs and the artists who made them famous.
These days Berkemeier appears frequently throughout Michigan. His shows are noted for his friendly interaction with the audience and energetic performances of their favorite songs.