Steve Morse

Steve J. Morse (born July 28, 1954) is an American guitarist, best known as the founder of the Dixie Dregs and as the guitarist for Deep Purple from 1994 to 2022.

In the late 1960s, he played in a band called Three with his older brother and a junior high schoolmate, William Gerald (Jerry) Wooten, who played keyboards.

The three performed at a local psychedelic youth club, the Glass Onion, and at Legion Halls and church functions.

While enrolled in the Academy of Richmond County, Morse met bassist Andy West and together they formed the Dixie Grit, adding keyboardist Johnny Carr and guitarist and vocalist Frank Brittingham, with Dave Morse drumming.

This short-lived group played material from groups such as Led Zeppelin and Cream.

During the 1970s, the University of Miami played host to a number of future influential musicians, including Bruce Hornsby, Pat Metheny, and Jaco Pastorius.

Andy West also enrolled at the University of Miami, and with Morse, drummer Bart Yarnold, keyboardist Frank Josephs and violinist Allen Sloan, collaborated in a lab project entitled Rock Ensemble II.

In 1975, the group compiled a recording used for promotional efforts.

Upon Morse's graduation from the University of Miami in 1975, he and West officially named their group Dixie Dregs.

A fellow University of Miami alumnus, Rod Morgenstein, replaced the injured Bart Yarnold and the band began performing regularly; with some of their own compositions, along with material by John McLaughlin and southern rock favorites.

It was originally released on vinyl in 1976, and again on CD in 1997 as "The Great Spectacular."

An increasingly heavier performance schedule eventually led to the attention of Capricorn Records recruiters including Allman Brothers Band manager Twiggs Lyndon, and in late 1976, the group was signed by the southern rock label.

Their first effort for Capricorn, Free Fall, established Morse as an important newcomer to the fusion genre, and he was recognized for both his compositional skills (having written all 11 tracks) and his musicianship.

Although receiving positive reviews as a pivotal jazz fusion album, it sold poorly.

What If was released in 1978.

Writing credits were more collaborative and the band's sound had matured into more than what was strictly considered fusion at the time.

Southern rock, classical, folk and country elements were combined to form a cohesive and listenable music.

Though supported by a tour, record sales remained flat, but gained Morse and the band an invitation to perform at Montreux Jazz Festival on July 23, 1978.

Four songs from the recorded performance were released the following year on Night of the Living Dregs.

Capricorn went bankrupt in late 1979, and the Dixie Dregs were left without a label.

Arista Records signed the band in 1979 to record three albums.

Morse has also enjoyed a successful solo career and was briefly a member of the group Kansas in the mid-1980s.

Most recently, Morse became a member of the supergroup Flying Colors.

Steve Morse was born in Hamilton, Ohio.

His family soon moved to Tennessee and then to Ypsilanti, Michigan, where Morse spent his childhood.

Although familiar with piano and clarinet, Morse ultimately became a guitarist.

Morse worked briefly with his older brother Dave in a band called the Plague until the family moved to Augusta, Georgia.

Production control was handed to Morse, and Dregs of the Earth was released in May 1980.

All eight tracks were written by Morse, and the album peaked at number 27 on Billboard's Jazz Album Chart.

Arista became increasingly concerned about Dixie Dregs' album sales and pressured the band to change their name to simply the Dregs in an attempt to increase the band's visibility in the public eye.

Unsung Heroes included seven new Morse compositions, plus a shortened re-arrangement of Cruise Control, in early 1981, but the name change did little to address Arista's worries.

The Dregs felt compelled by label management to add lyrics to their next release, appropriately titled Industry Standard.

Morse's compositions on Industry Standard began to sound more like his evolving solo work than Dregs' collaborations, and the album received critical and public praise.

Industry Standard was voted "Best Guitar LP" by readers of Guitar Player magazine in their annual reader's poll that year.

Additionally, Morse was voted "Best Overall Guitarist" in the same poll, an honor that he would hold for five consecutive years (which ended his eligibility by retiring him into their "Gallery of Greats", a distinction shared only by Steve Howe of Yes and Eric Johnson).

From late 1987 to early 1988, Morse worked as a commercial airline co-pilot.

He has lived in Ocala, Florida since 1991, where he is involved in hay farming.

West and Morse continued to play as a duet billed as the Dixie Dregs until Morse's expulsion from school in the 10th grade for refusing to cut his hair.

Steve completed 11th grade at a local Catholic school and was eligible for early college enrollment.

He enrolled at the University of Miami School of Music.