Introduction
Stephen Jeffrey Holley (born 24 August 1954, London, England) is an English rock music drummer. He was a member of Paul McCartney and Wings from August 1978 to April 1981. In February 2020, Holley was a member of Mott the Hoople with Ian Hunter.
Early years
His father, Jeffrey, led a swing music band and his mother, Irene, was the singer. He first studied the piano, but took up the drums at the age of 12.
Musicians
In the course of his career, dating back to the early 1970s and including numerous appearances as a sessions musician, he performed and recorded with Paul McCartney, Elton John, Kiki Dee, G.T. Moore & The Reggae Guitars, Joe Cocker, Ian Hunter, Tommy Shaw, Julian Lennon, Dar Williams, Richard Barone, Ben E. King, and Chuck Berry.In 1978, soon after performing on Elton John's hit single "Ego", a chance meeting in a pub in his hometown of Staines with Denny Laine resulted in him being invited to join Wings. Holley later was a member of Jules Shear's band Reckless Sleepers.
Steve has been touring with Ian Hunter for several years as a member of Ian Hunter's Rant Band. He plays Pearl drums and Sabian cymbals.
Collaborations
- A Single Man - Elton John (1978)
- Jump Up - Elton John (1982)
- Valotte - Julian Lennon (1984)
- No Sound But a Heart - Sheena Easton (1987)
- Night Calls - Joe Cocker (1991)