MUSIC & MEMORIES
Noblesville Favorite Son Steve Wariner in Concert
WANT To Go:
An Intimate Evening With Steve Wariner takes place at the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel. Tickets start at $35 and go up to $75. The 1,500-seat Palladium Concert Hall will likely sell out so those planning to go should purchase tickets soon. To get tickets online, go to https://thecenterpresents.org/tickets-events/events/2425/center-presents/steve-wariner/
By Tim Timmons
Steve Wariner is coming home.
The Grammy award winning, Hall of Fame country & western superstar from Noblesville will be featured in An Intimate Evening with Steve Wariner at The Palladium in Carmel on Friday, Feb. 21.
Wariner, who grew up in Noblesville and attended high school here, grew up playing music in and around the city. He’s certainly no stranger to Indiana venues either, having headlined at the Indiana State Fair as well as performing there with Kenny Rogers and Loretta Lynn. He’s played plenty of other places in the state, including concerts through country radio stations like WFMS and the former WIRE. But this is the first time he’ll play a larger venue right in the area where he grew up.
“It’s funny, coming home is a little more daunting thing then it might seem like,” Wariner told The Times this week. “I know there’s a lot of classmates and family and friends. When you play somewhere like London or Cleveland, you don’t know anyone. I played Noblesville High School once. I’ve done a few little things, still kind of climbing up then. At this stage of my career, I guess the twilight part of my career, this is new . . . coming home”
Wariner said he performed a few venues in northern Indiana.
“It’s been a while,” he laughed. “Mr. Petro would not be happy that I don’t remember the name of those counties.”
John Petro and Dave Purvis were just a couple of the teachers Wariner recalled fondly during the hour-long interview.
That’s the way the interview with Wariner goes – touching on the concert, music, art and memories of Noblesville. Always, fondly, Noblesville.
“I’m proud of my roots and where I came from,” he explained. “My wife says, ‘man, you sure talk about your childhood a lot.’ But growing up was important to me.
“My mom and dad, and this is a common story I think around there; my mom and dad were from the same rural area of Kentucky. They settled around Indy; my dad followed his brothers for work.”
Wariner said the family moved around a lot.
“I look back at it now and it made me who I am,” he explained. “I was forced to be social. Although it did set me back in math,” he laughed.
“I revere those times. Not to get dramatic, but it was hard. There were five kids, well six – we lost a brother early on – and Mom and Dad. We came up pretty hard. I always say to politicians, you don’t know what it is to live from Friday to Friday. You wait for that whistle to blow on Friday and you take that check and you go to Kenley’s to get groceries. Coming up hard you remember that stuff.”
Wariner remembers a lot about Noblesville from the ‘60s and early ‘70s.
“I love looking at the building where Beanie’s was (now occupied by Rowland Printing on 9th Street). “My Grandma worked at Beanies (Cafeteria) and lived in an apartment above there. We’d go up there and you could see all over downtown. I love all the historic stuff. Down way on the southside, we’d ride our bikes over to the old A&W root beer stand.
“I just got really great memories around the old Noblesville,” he continued. “Riding bikes to Fishers, walking across the railroad bridge that went above White River going to Forest Park. We’d talk about what we were going to do if a train came,” he laughed. “Now parents would never let their kids do that.”
Wariner’s music career basically started in Noblesville. It’s also easy to see how that blended with some of his childhood memories.
“My brother had a band called the Summits,” he recalled. “I was playing rock and roll with that band (we played at the Moose when it was up on the square). I played with him and then played country with my Dad’s band. I was playing music with my Dad, he was helping Vic (Zinn). They’d play at the American Legion, the VFW. Sometimes there’d be a movie at the Diana and I’d rather be going to the movie. (Friends) Roger Craft and Rick Campbell would go to the movies and then come by and I’d see those guys out the window.”
It was a long time ago, and Wariner was just a kid.
“At 12 years old, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. We went to Jan Eden’s in Indianapolis (Jan Eden Recording and Sound Studio) and Dad made a record. I remember around that time I just knew. I didn’t know how or what, but I knew I wanted to do that.”
Wariner knows where the road began, and knows where it’s leading.
“Really, I’m looking at this as a homecoming for me,” Wariner said. “I don’t really tour much anymore. I just kind of cherry pick. I just don’t play much anymore. I do more art sometimes.
“It’s the traveling and stuff that gets harder as you get older,” he continued. “There’s just no way I could do what I did back in the ‘80s, traveling 200 days a year. I understand where I am in my career. I am appreciative of what I have had. I was lucky I’ve had so many hits – 1979 was my first. Then the ‘80s, ‘90s, 2000s . . . I am lucky to have had such a long run. I’m still active with writing and working.”
And art is more than music.
“I’m painting a lot. I’ve got a studio (at his house in Tennessee). I’m writing (songs). I’ve got two or three paintings and two or three songs going all the time. I’m either in one studio or the other.
“What I say now, I just do stuff that makes me smile.”
GRAMMY AWARDS (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences)
2010–Best Country Instrumental Performance
“Producer’s Medley” from Steve Wariner, c.g.p., My Tribute to Chet Atkins
2009–Best Country Instrumental Performance
“Cluster Pluck” from Play (Brad Paisley)
Brad Paisley, James Burton, Vince Gill, John Jorgenson, Albert Lee, Brent Mason, Redd Volkaert and Steve Wariner
2000-Best Country Instrumental Performance
“Bob’s Breakdowns” from Ride with Bob (Asleep at the Wheel) Steve Wariner and Asleep at the Wheel
1992-Best Country Vocal Collaboration
“Restless” from Mark O’Connor & the New Nashville Cats
Mark O’Connor, Steve Wariner, Ricky Skaggs and Vince Gill
Steve has a total of 14 GRAMMY nominations.
AWARDS & HONORS
2022-Inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
2019-Inducted into the Musicians Hall Of Fame
2018-Country Radio Broadcasters Career Achievement Award
2011-Induction into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame
2009-Inducted into National Thumbpickers Hall of Fame
2008-Inducted into Music City Walk of Fame
2002-Minnie Pearl Humanitarian Award
2000-Country Weekly/TNN Fast Track Award
1999-Orville H. Gibson Guitar Award-Best Male Country Guitarist
1997-Received official “c.g.p.” (certified guitar player) status from Chet Atkins, who surprised him with a plaque and special recognition
1996-Country Weekly Instrumentalist of the Year
1996–Becomes member of the Grand Ole Opry
1995-CMT Video of the Year for “Workin’ Man Blues” with Lee Roy Parnell and Diamond Rio
COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION (CMA) AWARDS
1998-Single of the Year and Song of the Year “Holes in the Floor of Heaven”
1998–Single of the Year (Producer) “Holes in the Floor of Heaven”
1998–Song of the Year “Holes in the Floor of Heaven”
1991-Vocal Event of the Year “Restless” from Mark O’Connor & the New Nashville Cats Mark O’Connor, Steve Wariner, Ricky Skaggs and Vince Gill
ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC (ACM) AWARDS
1999-Song of the Year “Holes in the Floor of Heaven”
BMI Country Awards (total of 16–partial listing below)
Awards presented in honor of writing one of the most-performed songs of the previous year.
2002- “Where the Blacktop Ends”
“Katie Wants a Fast One”
2001- “Been There”
2000- “Two Teardrops”
“I’m Already Taken”
1999- “Longneck Bottle”
“Nothin’ But the Taillights”
“Holes in the Floor of Heaven”
BMI MILLION-AIR AWARDS–TOTAL OF 18
“Been There”
“Holes in the Floor of Heaven” (2 million)
“I Got Dreams” (2 million)
“I Should Be with You”
“I’m Already Taken”
“Longneck Bottle” (2 million)
“Nothin’ But the Taillights” (4 million)
“Two Teardrops”
“Where Did I Go Wrong”
“Where the Blacktop Ends” (2million)
“You Can Dream of Me”
TNN/MUSIC CITY NEWS AWARDS
1998-Vocal Collaboration
“What If I Said”-duet with Anita Cochran
CHRISTIAN COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION AWARDS
1999-Video of the Year
“Holes in the Floor of Heaven”