As a performer he's known as "Your Friendly, Neighborhood, Yodeling Cowboy". But, he also a surprisingly adept composer in a wide variety of styles and genres.

Stephen Lee Rich

September 1st, 1969 a then sixteen- year- old Stephen Lee Rich entered a talent contest at the County Fair in Mariposa County, California. He won five dollars and a career was born. Most teenage boys would have hung up the guitar after securing their first full time job, but Stephen Lee kept the music coming. Now, over thirty-five years later, he still commands the stage with his combination of folk, country, and original songs mixed with a healthy dose of comedy and yodeling.

In the early 1970's the Chicago native returned home and started haunting every open mic he could find or legally get into. By mid-decade he was working regularly at places like the legendary Barbarossa, His N' Hers, The Spot, and No Exit Café and Gallery.

During the 1980's, when the folk venues started to disappear, he made the move to comedy clubs such as the Comedy Cottage, Zanies, and became the regular host of the twice weekly showcase night at Kobart's Komedy Kove. Around that he kept busy as the singer for an outlaws-style Country band called Greenwood Creek. He worked for a year as the opening act and rhythm guitarist for an Elvis impersonator named Tom Roan. He also linked up with a number of variety acts gathered from the His N' Hers club to inaugurate the Revolving Door Revue, a touring troupe whose peripatetic engagements first brought him to Wisconsin - specifically to Fort Atkinson's Café Carpe and later to Madison's Wild Hog In The Woods Coffeehouse.



Relocating to Madison in 1994 to front a musical outfit called The Road Band, Stephen Lee soon found solo work as one of the rotating hosts of both the weekly acoustic jam night at the Anchor Inn and the monthly open mic at Mother Fool's Coffeehouse. He also reconnected with Café Carpe and Wild Hog in the Woods as a solo act.

The 21st century has, so far, been good for him. I 2002 he recorded his first solo CD, Facing Monday, and further expanded his territory south to downstate Illinois, to places like Naperville's Fat Bean Coffeehouse and Lansing's Muse Café, into Michigan, to, amongst others, Escanaba's 8th Street Coffeehouse and the Grand Marais Songwriter's Festival, and all around Wisconsin, to Acoustic Fest and Premier Café' in Manitowoc, the Log Cabin Days Bluegrass and Folk Festival in Edgerton (as an act and host two tears running), the Elroy Fair in Elroy, Firefly Coffeehouse in Oregon, and many other places. He is also becoming well known statewide for his frquent performances on Wisconsin Public Radio's live variety show, "Higher Ground with Jonathan Overby".

Stephen Lee is currently affiliated with Travenia Records as an artist and producer. In 2005 he released the anthology, Tappin' Out A Rhythm. Pickin' Out A Tune, which features performers such as Sandy Andina and Aaron Nathans. He also finished a duet CD with long-time Sandy Andina called Brcause We Can. In the works is another solo CD and a disc of family-friendly comedy the working title of which is "Why Is This Fish Smiling?".

With all that he's done and all that he's working on it's no wonder that the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter said,"Stephen Lee Rich is a one-man variety show."


For booking information call:
(608) 204-7188

e-mail:
stephenlee@stephenleerich.com

Visit the website at
www.stephenleerich.com