Entertainer Steve Quinney Celebrates 60 Years

Who is Steve Quinney? Steve is an entertainer in the Raleigh, NC area. His karaoke show at Fat Daddy's has enjoyed a 17 year run. Before that, starting with his first professional appearance in his mother's band in 1960 at the age of eleven, Steve has performed all his life and provided vocals for the rocking 80s band, Cirkus, the headliners at his birthday show this weekend. In his career as entertainer he has performed in a number of bands, as karaoke jockey, and as general event planner. And May 8, 2009, he turned 60 years young.

"When I do my job, at any given time, whether it's running an event, playing live, being a dj/karaoke operator, people are smiling, they're happy, the children are happy, and for a few hours, no one is concerned about the economy, disease, war, pestilence, how they will spend the afterlife, or anything else. They're just having a good time," said Steve.

What a rockin' life!

Steve has enjoyed himself and made sure everyone around him has done the same.

His 60th birthday celebration has been in the planning for a long time. It started Friday night at The Brewery in Raleigh, NC. "We're doing this at The Brewery because it's been around as long as we were and is a Raleigh institution," Steve told us.

The lineup started with Rock of Ages and Two's a Crowd (Steve and guitarist extrodinaire Jay Rusnak), followed by local favorite 80's band Driver, and maybe the final reunion of Cirkus? No way! The 2011 show is already being talked about. Steve's vocals led the first and final sets, and The Brewery might have hosted it's oldest rocking crowd ever, and make no mistake, the place was rockin'!

Saturday night the party resumed at the Bedford Community House in North Raleigh. A good portion of the guests both nights are members of the Triangle Area Divorce and Separated Support Group (DSSG).

As an assistant organizer for DSSG, I first met Steve when he started KJ'ing in Wake Forest, NC in 2007. I regularly hosted DSSG events at the venue, and showed up with or without the group at least every other week. Steve joined our group since he and his wife, Shelley, were separated at the time, and I consider myself lucky to know Steve Quinney.

He and Shelley have since reconciled, as have my husband and I. Maybe that makes us kindred spirits in my mind. I love Steve's voice, his wit, and his raunchy sense of humor. I love that he not only tolerates my country selections but sings Jackson with me when my regular duet partners are unavailable. But most of all I love the example Steve gives the rest of us in living his passion.

"60 is a milestone and believe it or not, I'm not a completely shallow clown, so I've been reflecting my life here lately," Steve said.

"I never wavered ever in my goals or desires personally or professionally. I gave up an academic scholarship to college to go on the road with my first band, much to the consternation and disgust of my teachers and family, as I was considered one of the best and brightest in my class. Outside of a handful of 'straight' jobs, I've been at this all my life. When it became clear I wasn't going to be an international filthy rich household name, my goal changed to making a living in the entertainment business and also to never work under the thumb of some white tower supervisor or corporation who told me when and for how long I could go to lunch or wrote me up if I was 5 minutes late twice in a month and put a report in my permanent record. A major crock and a waste of a life IMO. Mission accomplished."

How many of us really feel that good about our life, ever?

Steve continued, "There are those who have called me among other things, an immature lout who won't grow up, a loser, a waste of a good mind, a self centered jerk, all my life because of what I do. I say, bullshit. I make people happy...and their happiness makes me happy if only for a few hours at a time, and I don't know of other professions where if you do your job, everyone's happy."

I had more than a good time this weekend, celebrating Steve Quinney's big 60. We sang, we rocked, we hugged, and we smiled. I hope every guest not only enjoyed themselves, but went home with the inspiration to live in the moment, as often as we can, and to find happiness making people happy.