Esteban
Encyclopedia
Esteban is the stage name
of guitarist Stephen Paul. Recognizable by his bolero hat and sunglasses, Esteban has gained commercial success by selling his CDs and guitars on QVC
and HSN.
) in Mt. Lebanon
. He then attended Carnegie Mellon University
, where he double-majored in music and English. At this time, he was teaching approximately 150 students a week and playing in nightclubs.
. According to Esteban, after a long period where he pursued Segovia by sending notes to the hotels he was staying at, he at last met Segovia in Los Angeles
in 1972 and studied with him intermittently for the next five years, splitting his time between Spain
and California
. The extent of the connection between Segovia and Esteban, however, is heavily disputed. Although Esteban did meet Segovia, Esteban is not mentioned in any biography of Segovia, and Esteban never received the public acknowledgment Segovia gave students such as John Williams
and Eliot Fisk
. Segovia autograph
ed one of his books for Esteban in 1978 with a flattering message, but Segovia is known to have signed hundreds or thousands of such messages.
to Phoenix
with his wife and daughter, Teresa Paul in 1978. During the next two years, he toured playing classical music. In 1980, while driving his mother home from the airport, Esteban was involved in a collision with a drunk driver. He was left with broken ribs, missing teeth, and a light-sensitive eye. He recovered but was left with nerve damage in his hands. Unable to play the guitar, he sold solar energy systems for Reynolds Aluminum. During his long recovery, he decided to move away from playing only classical music. After recovering some of the use of his fingers in 1988, he had begun playing again by the end of 1989.
. Audiences responded well to Esteban's charisma and frequently bought his albums. In 1999, Esteban came to the attention of Joy Mangano
at Ingenious Designs, inventor of the Miracle Mop and other household accessories sold on QVC
. She recognized Esteban's charisma and he was invited to play on QVC in November 1999. Soon after, Ingenious Designs was bought out by HSN and Esteban achieved commercial success. He sold 132,000 CDs after two appearances on HSN in the summer of 2000, and two of his albums reached the top 54 entries in the Billboard 200
. Esteban quit playing at the Hyatt in 2000. He has since been featured in The Wall Street Journal
and People Magazine. From 2001 to 2003, Esteban released over a dozen additional albums, four of which placed in the lower half of the Billboard 200. He has also been featured in various infomercials advertising his guitars and instructional DVDs. Esteban landed his first major CD distribution deal (with Sony RED Distribution
) with the release of The Best of Esteban in October, 2006.
." Critics have pointed out that Esteban began making these claims only after Segovia had died, making them impossible to verify, and that it is unlikely that Segovia, a classical purist, would have approved of Esteban's form of popular music. Also, given Segovia's known reputation as a very strict and intimidating instructor, it seems highly unlikely that he would have taken a student whose focus was not entirely on the performance of classical music.
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
of guitarist Stephen Paul. Recognizable by his bolero hat and sunglasses, Esteban has gained commercial success by selling his CDs and guitars on QVC
QVC
QVC is a multinational corporation specializing in televised home shopping. Founded in 1986 by Joseph Segel in West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania, United States, QVC broadcasts in five countries as QVC US, QVC UK, QVC Germany, QVC Japan and – QVC Italy to 200 million households...
and HSN.
History
Paul was the oldest of four children. He recounts that he began playing guitar at the age of eight when his uncle brought him a nylon-stringed guitar. He attended South Hills Catholic High School (since absorbed into Seton-La Salle Catholic High SchoolSeton-La Salle Catholic High School
Seton-La Salle Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
) in Mt. Lebanon
Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Mt. Lebanon is a home rule municipality, formerly a township, in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 33,137 at the 2010 census....
. He then attended Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
, where he double-majored in music and English. At this time, he was teaching approximately 150 students a week and playing in nightclubs.
Segovia
Esteban states that at this point in his studies of the guitar, he felt a strong desire to study with Andrés SegoviaAndrés Segovia
Andrés Torres Segovia, 1st Marquis of Salobreña , known as Andrés Segovia, was a virtuoso Spanish classical guitarist from Linares, Jaén, Andalucia, Spain...
. According to Esteban, after a long period where he pursued Segovia by sending notes to the hotels he was staying at, he at last met Segovia in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 1972 and studied with him intermittently for the next five years, splitting his time between Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The extent of the connection between Segovia and Esteban, however, is heavily disputed. Although Esteban did meet Segovia, Esteban is not mentioned in any biography of Segovia, and Esteban never received the public acknowledgment Segovia gave students such as John Williams
John Williams (guitarist)
John Christopher Williams is an Australian classical guitarist, and a long-term resident of the United Kingdom. In 1973, he shared a Grammy Award win in the 'Best Chamber Music Performance' category with Julian Bream for Julian and John .-Biography:John Williams was born on 24 April 1941 in...
and Eliot Fisk
Eliot Fisk
Eliot Fisk is an American classical guitarist.-Biography:Fisk was the last direct pupil of Andrés Segovia and is the holder of all reproduction rights to Segovia's music, given to him by Segovia's wife, Emilia...
. Segovia autograph
Autograph
An autograph is a document transcribed entirely in the handwriting of its author, as opposed to a typeset document or one written by an amanuensis or a copyist; the meaning overlaps with that of the word holograph.Autograph also refers to a person's artistic signature...
ed one of his books for Esteban in 1978 with a flattering message, but Segovia is known to have signed hundreds or thousands of such messages.
Musical transformation
Esteban moved from Southern CaliforniaSouthern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
to Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
with his wife and daughter, Teresa Paul in 1978. During the next two years, he toured playing classical music. In 1980, while driving his mother home from the airport, Esteban was involved in a collision with a drunk driver. He was left with broken ribs, missing teeth, and a light-sensitive eye. He recovered but was left with nerve damage in his hands. Unable to play the guitar, he sold solar energy systems for Reynolds Aluminum. During his long recovery, he decided to move away from playing only classical music. After recovering some of the use of his fingers in 1988, he had begun playing again by the end of 1989.
Commercial success
At this time, Esteban was playing at a Hyatt Regency hotel. He released his first album in 1991. He hired a keyboardist in 1992 and has subsequently added a five-piece band including drummer Joe MorrisJoe Morris (drummer)
Joe Morris is an American drummer based in Phoenix.He has released 5 solo CD’s. One of which, “Joe Morris and Friends," was released in GTS 5.1 Surround Sound thereby making Joe the first drummer to put out a solo CD in this format...
. Audiences responded well to Esteban's charisma and frequently bought his albums. In 1999, Esteban came to the attention of Joy Mangano
Joy Mangano
Joy Mangano is an American inventor and entrepreneur, known for inventions such as the self-wringing Miracle Mop and Huggable Hangers.-Biography:Mangano graduated from Pace University in 1978 and held a variety of jobs before...
at Ingenious Designs, inventor of the Miracle Mop and other household accessories sold on QVC
QVC
QVC is a multinational corporation specializing in televised home shopping. Founded in 1986 by Joseph Segel in West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania, United States, QVC broadcasts in five countries as QVC US, QVC UK, QVC Germany, QVC Japan and – QVC Italy to 200 million households...
. She recognized Esteban's charisma and he was invited to play on QVC in November 1999. Soon after, Ingenious Designs was bought out by HSN and Esteban achieved commercial success. He sold 132,000 CDs after two appearances on HSN in the summer of 2000, and two of his albums reached the top 54 entries in the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. Esteban quit playing at the Hyatt in 2000. He has since been featured in The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
and People Magazine. From 2001 to 2003, Esteban released over a dozen additional albums, four of which placed in the lower half of the Billboard 200. He has also been featured in various infomercials advertising his guitars and instructional DVDs. Esteban landed his first major CD distribution deal (with Sony RED Distribution
RED Distribution
RED - An Artist Development Company is a Sony Music Entertainment-owned sales and marketing division that handles releases for over sixty independent record labels....
) with the release of The Best of Esteban in October, 2006.
Criticism
Esteban has used Segovia heavily in his marketing, citing himself, for example, as being "one of 14 guitarists in the world endorsed by the legendary Andrés SegoviaAndrés Segovia
Andrés Torres Segovia, 1st Marquis of Salobreña , known as Andrés Segovia, was a virtuoso Spanish classical guitarist from Linares, Jaén, Andalucia, Spain...
." Critics have pointed out that Esteban began making these claims only after Segovia had died, making them impossible to verify, and that it is unlikely that Segovia, a classical purist, would have approved of Esteban's form of popular music. Also, given Segovia's known reputation as a very strict and intimidating instructor, it seems highly unlikely that he would have taken a student whose focus was not entirely on the performance of classical music.
Discography
- The Best of Esteban (2006)
- The New Flamenco Y Rosas (2006)
- Father/Daughter (2004)
- Celebrate the Memories (2004)
- Back 2 Back (2003)
- Esteban & Friends: Live in Sedona (2003)
- Happy Holidays (2003)
- Live in Sedona (2003)
- Eternal Love (2003)
- Walk Beside Me (2002)
- Flame, Flamenco & Romance, Vol. 2 (2002)
- Esteban By Request (2001)
- Flame, Flamenco & Romance, Vol. 1 (2001)
- Esteban Live (2001)
- Joy to the World (2001)
- Holiday Trilogy (2001)
- At Home With Esteban (2001)
- All My Love (2001)
- Duende (2001)
- What Child Is This (2001)
- Spirits of the West (2001)
- Heart of Gold (2001)
- Passion (1999)
- Enter the Heart (1998)
- Flamenco Y Rosas (1995)
- Songs From My Heart (1995)
Further reading and external links
- Official Website
- [ Esteban], entry at Allmusic.
- Even on aisle 9, Esteban rocks on, Jim Abbott, January 1, 2007, Orlando Sentinel,.
- The Tao of Esteban, Gilbert Garcia, Phoenix New Times, September 21, 2000.
- Who is Esteban? And what's up with his guitars? at Music Thing
- South Hills Catholic reunion with Esteban, Al Lowe, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 8, 2007.
- Product reviews of various models of Esteban Guitars at Harmony central.