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Steve Newton

Steve Newton

Canadian journalist Steve Newton (pictured with Keith Richards) started writing about music as a cub reporter for his hometown paper, The Chilliwack Progress, before graduating from the University of British Columbia and finding work at the Georgia Straight alternative newspaper in 1982. A devotee of scary movies, Newton spent 13 years as the Vancouver correspondent for fabled New York horror magazine Fangoria. He has also written for Experience Hendrix, Modern Drummer, and theguardian.com. Much of his work since the early '80s has been collected on his website, earofnewt.com. He also has a Patreon page, patreon.com/earofnewt, where he regularly posts his vintage audio interviews in their entirety. In 2018 he published his first book, Gord Downie, about the late frontman of Canuck guitar-rock greats the Tragically Hip.

Steve's Patreon page

5 articles

List of articles in the library

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Roy Buchanan on turning down the Stones and being flattered by Beck

Interview by Steve Newton, The Georgia Straight, 7 February 1986

NOT MANY guitarists can say they were invited to join the Rolling Stones. Not many can say they turned the offer down either. But Roy ...

Albert King: An Interview

Interview by Steve Newton, The Georgia Straight, 30 August 1990

THE INFLUENCE of the blues on British supergroups is well documented. The Stones, Zeppelin, Cream – they all lapped up the seminal works of people ...

Allman Brothers Band, Dickey Betts: The Allman Brothers Band's Dickey Betts (1991)

Interview by Steve Newton, Rock's Backpages audio, 18 July 1991

The Allmans guitarist talks about the band's current touring activities; the band's longevity; how it's possible to grow old as a rock musician; his relationship with Gregg Allman; the rise of Southern Rock and its influence on new acts like the Black Crowes; the Allmans' refusal to move to New York or L.A.; their new Shades of Two Worlds album; who writes the songs; Gregg's writer's block... and what he listens to these days.

File format: mp3; file size: 18.1mb, interview length: 18' 48" sound quality: ** (phoner)

ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons tells me "them low-down blues ain't bad"

Interview by Steve Newton, The Georgia Straight, September 1994

WHEN FAMOUS rock guitarists reminisce about their first instruments, the talk tends toward dirt-cheap acoustics with heavy strings set so high off the fretboard that ...

Jeff Beck (2001)

Interview by Steve Newton, Rock's Backpages audio, 2001

The guitar great on his relationship with Jan Hammer; on his current live band and guitarist Jennifer Batten; on his latest album You Had It Coming; his use of modern technology; on getting his guitar sound; his memories of meeting Roy Buchanan back in the '70s; his admiration for John McLaughlin; suffering tinnitus, and his love of building hot rod cars.

File format: mp3; file size: 14.1mb, interview length: 14' 39" sound quality: ** (phoner)

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