1967-68 The Essex Bill E, Gary Mc, Mike S, Steve F
Was asked to join by Gary...bought my first "Kay" Bass to try and learn how to play. We played Swim Clubs, dances...had a great time. Bill was the main man in this group, and justifiably so, without him the group would not even have existed.
1968-1970 Barbershop Quartet Bill E, Bill S, Steve B, Steve F this group received "excellent" scores in competition
(can't remember the names of the previous year, but this one was the best one)
Loved singing in the barbershop quartet, learned how to sing tight harmonies with two years of this, plus you learn how to hold your harmonies with three others singing around you on a totally different harmony part. We had to audition and be selected, I sang Baritone...I loved it!
1970 The Four of Us! Mark G, Chris H, Sue J, Steve F
Had a good time, we played school functions to raise money, after graduation we played 5 nights a week at Tan Tara, Lake of the Ozarks. We also played the governor's convention of this year, every governor from each state attended. Not bad for a bunch of 17 year olds. I think Mark approached me to form this group with him, I think we originally asked Connie F to be in it, but she was not interested, so we approached Sue J, and she did a fantastic job. Chris was also a power singer. Loved her "Leavin' On A Jet Plane" lead vocal. Album was made, "Illusions of Hope".
1972 Mark and I continued as a Duo, playing 5 nights a week at the Leather Bottle in St, Louis area. Sang CSN, America, Kinks, Neil Young and Simon and Garfunkel. This was a successful Duo considering we played 5 nights a week. Tape made in studio of about 13 songs.
1973 "Good Lovin' Grace" Haden G, Rick and Steve F
Played up in the mountains, short lived band. Haden and I tried to form this one, didn't do much. Haden did mention us in his song "Always Brings Me Tears"..."Childhood days with lovin' grace, it's hard to find a place to play, it's been too long, since I've seen your face, friends seem to slip away".
1974 "Mountain Star" Haden G, Mark "Hot Rod" S, Jim G, Steve F
Played throughout the Denver area and Wyoming. Highlight, playing first show to Michael Murphy of Cosmic Cowboy and Wildfire fame. Also played the Miss Teen Colorado dance at the Brown Palace. I mainly added the third harmony in this group, sang lead on a few selected songs, like Eagles, some Stephen Stills...but really I just played bass and sang the third. This was really Haden and Hot Rod's group, the name was changed from Mountain Star to The Hole In The Wall Gang. Haden would join "Starwood" up in Aspen they had a recording contract with Columbia. THE band of Aspen at that time. I actually had to laugh a bit at the Aspen Times article, as though he pulled into town in 1975, we had been going to Aspen for years, Hot Rod went to Colorado Mountain College there. Starwood was actually formed in the early 70's as "Homebrew" by Bobby Mason and Bob Carpenter, Haden joined much later. I remember going to Aspen with Haden and Hot Rod to listen to Homebrew when we had a weekend off...they were great! Hot Rod and David James Holster (lead singer with Homebrew, later Starwood) played in a Duo before Homebrew, that's how we knew them.
1977 "Rick and Steve" played around Hawaii. Probably the best thing we did was play a local Hawaiian Wedding. Played The Army Rec Club quite a bit. As I joke the club was just a beer away from where we lived on the beach. So we could drink as much as we wanted and not worry about driving home. We were pretty country at this time, I always listened to country when I saw my Dad, so I was very familiar with Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash. My Dad hated Waylon Jennings, he was probably my favorite around then. Tapes made.
1978 Recording Original material with Tom Wagner. Rick was leaving Hawaii soon, so Tom and I would drink a jug of wine on our days off and write songs. Album made "Ferguson/Wagner".
1979 "S & R Express" Rick and I reformed the duo, the Duo was very successful, we packed people into the clubs we played, one bar owner we played for said we should just stay as a Duo, and she was probably right since it seemed we were always changing band members around the Duo, we eventually formed the "S & R Express Band" playing up to 7 nights a week of country-rock, loved playing in a group with Rick. Rick went on to play in a group that played first show to the Clash at Red Rocks in the 80's. I regret letting this Duo fade away, one of the best working bands I was ever in. We didn't get re-booked because we were horrible, they wanted us back. I remember playing 21 nights in a row with no break at the Buckboard, we could have played even more if we wanted, but we needed a break every now and then. It's rough sometimes getting free drinks every night, and people buying you drinks on top of that... but it was mostly fun. We played so much we couldn't learn new songs, or try out originals. That's where we got bored, plus the changing of band members got old, we were always teaching the new people our songs and couldn't progress. If we could have started doing originals about this time, it could have saved us...but to me playing music by other writers seemed a waste when you're playing full-time. It always amazed me all of these musicians wanted to play, but once they got into the life style, they couldn't handle it. Either they drank too much or took too many drugs. Tapes made.
1982 Guy Paul and Steve F form "The Bourdon Cowboy Band", adding Jim H on guitar and Steve S on Drums. Met Paul when I was playing a bar on Morrison Road. He was drinking, I was playing. Played all over Colorado, from the ski resorts, to the mountain bars. We had some laughs with the name, it was around the time Urban Cowboy was popular. Mainly played weekends at this point, about every weekend.
1983-1985 Bob T, Rick F and Steve F form "The Mushroom Mountain Band", Rick had played steel guitar in "The Bourdon Cowboy Band" with me. Bob was Rick's friend and Bob came along for the ride to our gigs, he would help run the lights and tune our guitars, but soon after hearing Bob play and sing many fun songs, and I was getting tired of Guy Paul singing these slow Willie Nelson Songs, I asked Bob if him and Rick would like to form our own band...he was ready...so we did. Played nothing but fun songs, Good Lovin', Nashville Cats, 24 Hours, Against the Wind, Tequila Sunrise, Love Me Two Times, so many I can't remember them all...We built quite a following just having fun. "I ain't never had too much fun!" Most songs for MountainBoogie CD were recorded around this time period. I think tracks 1 through 8 were recorded at this time, the other three were really recorded in 1999 with the "Hot Rod Steven & Dr. Watson" sessions to complete MountainBoogie CD.
This was another successful band, we played every single weekend for years in addition to our jobs during the week, this band was a fun one with Bob and Rick in there...they had known each other since grade school.
1986-1998 "Slowburn" Lee and Steve formed the band. Ray Watson and Steve Ferguson kept Slowburn together. Originally it was Ray, Steve, Brad and Lee. Later Lee left, so we added Jim Hollingsworth to the mix. Players rotated...through the years for various reasons. Three of Steven's (some written with Wagner) original songs place in the top 10 of the Colorado Songwriter's Festival. Colorado Canyon Song #4...the next year Morning Glory #3 and Whiskey #8.
1991 Almost forgot Kenny Knight and the Nightmoods. I played bass and sang with Kenny Knight, who toured with "The Drifters". I was honored to be on stage with a guy who toured with the Drifters, "Up On The Roof", "Under The Boardwalk" and "Save the Last Dance for Me" each night... It's beautiful music, just not the kind of songs I want to sing night after night...but Kenny Knight was great fun...and it makes me feel good to know I can stand side by side with someone like him and belt out harmonies with him...great experience...my wife was pregnant at this time, so I took this job for the extra money it brought in. I'm not a "Drifter".
1999 "Hot Rod Steven & Dr. Watson" Hot Rod, Ray W, Steve G and Steve F.
Hot Rod Steven & Dr Watson CD recorded. A great CD...listen to it. This was a fun band, played a lot up at Kermitts in Idaho Springs, played their New Year's Eve party, I'll never forget this biker bar serving Prime Rib and Shrimp on New Year's Eve...it was great, except I broke a Bass string and had to play with three strings most of the night. Hot Rod can boogie on the piano. It's fun just listening to him play.
2003 Dancin' Upon The Clouds recorded. I personally like these songs, I recorded the whole CD at in a home studio.
2003 (I think) I was asked to Master and put together an all original CD of Denver Bands by Paramount Cafe, they wanted to put on "Family Band" written by myself and Tom Wagner on the first one. This led to me Mastering about 7 CD's, one each year for 7 years, I think the second one was done by Paramount Cafe, the rest Mastered and put together by me and Mike, part owner of the cafe. Had one of my original songs placed on each CD. This was a great way for me to hear the new music out there. Even had a band "Harmonious Junk" who's lead man used to play lead guitar for James Brown.
2005 Long Weary Road recorded. A CD I wish I would have taken longer to complete, I threw this one together quickly, I'd love to re-do these songs, which I might. I liked the first three or four songs so much I wanted to get it out...
2007 Start recording "Feelin' Funky" with Ed Pramuk, Ed was the main reason this was even started. Great guitar player...very original. This is the opposite of Long Weary Road, which I finished too quickly, many of these songs were written in 2007 and I haven't released it yet and it's 2012...one more song and it's done.
2012 Hangin' in there. I'm still alive. Still recording "Feelin' Funky", two more tracks done...one more to go.
Dates to this are subject to change because let's face it folks...I was playing and singing in bars 4 to 7 nights a week!
....the past is a little hazy...all I know know is we all had a great time doing what we wanted to do! Never really played to be a star...I just enjoyed playing and singing in the clubs, it was great fun.
Steven with the same lady for 30 years, whom I met playing when I was with "The Mushroom Mountain Band"...Two step kids, now in their mid 30's, grand kids and a Daughter 20 years old going to college. Keep the faith, keep having a good time...make life worth living...if you're not having a good time...change things...it's all in who you surround yourself with...keep positive people around you!
People are still trying to take punches at me after all of these years...to those I say, "get a life"...