Steve was born near Kenly, NC and was reared on a farm in Johnston County until age six, when his family moved to Kinston, NC. The same year, he began singing in his family quartet and taught himself to play the ukelele. At age twelve, he began teaching himself to play guitar. He has enjoyed playing and singing in local churches, schools, clubs, at private parties and receptions, and on radio and television for more than sixty years.
While in high school, he was co-founder of The Hi-Fi's, an instrumental and vocal group which performed popular music of the 50's at local dances, parties, church functions, special occasions, etc. The group had a 30-minute weekly radio show at a local station for nearly a year. The Hi-Fi's, under his leadership, won several talent shows and performed widely at various sites in eastern North Carolina. He was a member of the Kinston Grainger High School football and basketball teams, each of which won State championships. While in high school and college, he composed over forty original compositions. Three of the songs were recorded, as follows: "Stay With Me" and "Spanish Guitar" on Beverly Records, Jimmy Briggs (now, Jymmi Briggjanos) vocalist, and "Marry Me" on Jomada Records, Johnny Daye, vocalist, which was performed in over twenty countries and selected as "Sleeper of the Week" in a national disc jockey publication. The recording of "Spanish Guitar" was reissued on a German record label, Tramp Records, in a CD and vinyl record, "Praise Poems, Volume 2" in October, 2015. Steve and Jymmi's composition, "When You've Lost the One You Love," is scheduled to be recorded by country vocalist, Valcris. Steve's most recent compositions, "I Can't Believe It's True," and "Christmas Day with You," produced by Jymmi Briggjanos, were recorded as instrumental guitar, saxophone, and vocal renditions by Clay King Steinwinter, a former member of The Embers, and may be found on you tubes.
After entering Wake Forest University in 1957, he won a campus-wide talent show as a freshman; thereupon, he formed a campus vocal quartet, Steve Creech and the Creatures. He did the musical arrangements for the group, sang baritone, and accompanied the quartet on his guitar. The group performed extensively at local events, such as fraternity parties, campus-wide events, community parties, churches, and special occasions. He also performed widely with Jymmi Briggjanos, the vocalist from Kinston, who eventually recorded on Capitol Records and now resides in Mareno Valley, California. In addition, Steve played guitar with The Southerners, a combo and big band from Winston-Salem, NC. Following graduation, he continued to perform with various groups in eastern and central regions of the State while obtaining master's degrees from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He later earned a Ph.D. from UNC-CH. As part of his academic studies, he took various music courses in sight-singing, ear-training, harmony, voice, hymnology, etc.
He worked professionally in counseling and administration in mental health services for more than thirty years in various positions at John Umstead Hospital, Butner,NC (8 years) and as Area Director of the Pitt County Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Area Program, Greenville, NC (23 years). After retiring in 1997, he continued to play guitar in various groups as well as playing solo guitar. He has performed widely throughout North Carolina, especially in the east, and has accompanied such notable musicians as Roger Williams, Dan Barrett, Ken Peplowski, George Hamilton IV, Rufus Thomas, the Dell Vikings, Jymmi Briggjanos, Carroll Dashiell, Jonathan Wacher, and a number of well-known jazz and popular instrumentalists and vocalists from the State. In addition, he was a guest co-host on Carolina Today,WNCT-TV, Greenville, NC for several years. He currently performs about 100 events per year, including concerts with the Emerald City Big Band of Greenville. Also, Steve has been guest guitarist with the Starlight Dance Band of Goldsboro and other big bands and combo's in Eastern Carolina.
His favorite guitarists include Barney Kessell, Johnny Smith, George Benson, Jim Hall, Kenny Burrell, Mundell Lowe, Al Caiola, Howard Alden, Tal Farlow, George Barnes, Joe Pass, Bucky and John Pizarelli, Herb Ellis, Tony Mottola, Emily Remler, Wes Montgomery, George Van Eps, Django Reinhardt, Charlie Byrd, Hank Garland, Martin Taylor, and Chet Atkins. Among his favorite tunes, mostly old jazz standards, include such favorites as Tenderly, Moonlight in Vermont, All of Me, They Can't Take That Away From Me, The Girl from Ipanema, Can't Help Lovin' That Man, Yesterday, The Shadow of Your Smile, The Nearness of You, Polka Dots and Moonbeans, So What, Autumn Leaves, Summertime, Song for My Father, Take Five, When I Fall in Love, Body and Soul, My Funny Valentine, My Romance, Sophisticated Lady, and bossa nova compositions.
Steve is married to Catherine Treadway Creech, originally from Gastonia, NC. The couple has two daughters, Stephanie Peo, a music teacher at Aycock Middle School and Rose High School, Greenvllle, NC and Cathy Kyriakakis, both of whom are vocalists, voice teachers, and have performed professionally. Stephanie is married to baritone Ron Peo, a former opera singer with Opera Nuremberg who performed widely throughout the United States and Europe for 25 years before relocating to Greenville, NC. They have one son, Stephen, 19, who has a four-year scholarship in opera at East Carolina University. Cathy teaches private voice lessons in her studio and her husband, Scott Kyriakakis, is an underwriter with Wells Fargo. They reside in Greemville, South Carolina. Steve is a charter member of the Greenville Noon Rotary Club, a former board member of the East Carolina University Friends of Jazz, guitarist with the Emerald City Big Band, a member of the East Carolina University Club Advisory Committee at Cypress Glen Retirement Community, a Centennial Pirate of the East Carolina University Alumni Association, a member of the Advisory Committee of the Associate of Fine Arts in Music at Pitt Community College, and past member of the Advisory Committee of the East Carolina University Performing Arts Series. Formerly, an avid tennis player, Steve was a member of the Baywood Racquet Club 9.5 State Champions Mixed Doubles Team and winner or finalist in 125 tournament events. He currently is an avid
pool player.
While in high school, he was co-founder of The Hi-Fi's, an instrumental and vocal group which performed popular music of the 50's at local dances, parties, church functions, special occasions, etc. The group had a 30-minute weekly radio show at a local station for nearly a year. The Hi-Fi's, under his leadership, won several talent shows and performed widely at various sites in eastern North Carolina. He was a member of the Kinston Grainger High School football and basketball teams, each of which won State championships. While in high school and college, he composed over forty original compositions. Three of the songs were recorded, as follows: "Stay With Me" and "Spanish Guitar" on Beverly Records, Jimmy Briggs (now, Jymmi Briggjanos) vocalist, and "Marry Me" on Jomada Records, Johnny Daye, vocalist, which was performed in over twenty countries and selected as "Sleeper of the Week" in a national disc jockey publication. The recording of "Spanish Guitar" was reissued on a German record label, Tramp Records, in a CD and vinyl record, "Praise Poems, Volume 2" in October, 2015. Steve and Jymmi's composition, "When You've Lost the One You Love," is scheduled to be recorded by country vocalist, Valcris. Steve's most recent compositions, "I Can't Believe It's True," and "Christmas Day with You," produced by Jymmi Briggjanos, were recorded as instrumental guitar, saxophone, and vocal renditions by Clay King Steinwinter, a former member of The Embers, and may be found on you tubes.
After entering Wake Forest University in 1957, he won a campus-wide talent show as a freshman; thereupon, he formed a campus vocal quartet, Steve Creech and the Creatures. He did the musical arrangements for the group, sang baritone, and accompanied the quartet on his guitar. The group performed extensively at local events, such as fraternity parties, campus-wide events, community parties, churches, and special occasions. He also performed widely with Jymmi Briggjanos, the vocalist from Kinston, who eventually recorded on Capitol Records and now resides in Mareno Valley, California. In addition, Steve played guitar with The Southerners, a combo and big band from Winston-Salem, NC. Following graduation, he continued to perform with various groups in eastern and central regions of the State while obtaining master's degrees from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He later earned a Ph.D. from UNC-CH. As part of his academic studies, he took various music courses in sight-singing, ear-training, harmony, voice, hymnology, etc.
He worked professionally in counseling and administration in mental health services for more than thirty years in various positions at John Umstead Hospital, Butner,NC (8 years) and as Area Director of the Pitt County Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Area Program, Greenville, NC (23 years). After retiring in 1997, he continued to play guitar in various groups as well as playing solo guitar. He has performed widely throughout North Carolina, especially in the east, and has accompanied such notable musicians as Roger Williams, Dan Barrett, Ken Peplowski, George Hamilton IV, Rufus Thomas, the Dell Vikings, Jymmi Briggjanos, Carroll Dashiell, Jonathan Wacher, and a number of well-known jazz and popular instrumentalists and vocalists from the State. In addition, he was a guest co-host on Carolina Today,WNCT-TV, Greenville, NC for several years. He currently performs about 100 events per year, including concerts with the Emerald City Big Band of Greenville. Also, Steve has been guest guitarist with the Starlight Dance Band of Goldsboro and other big bands and combo's in Eastern Carolina.
His favorite guitarists include Barney Kessell, Johnny Smith, George Benson, Jim Hall, Kenny Burrell, Mundell Lowe, Al Caiola, Howard Alden, Tal Farlow, George Barnes, Joe Pass, Bucky and John Pizarelli, Herb Ellis, Tony Mottola, Emily Remler, Wes Montgomery, George Van Eps, Django Reinhardt, Charlie Byrd, Hank Garland, Martin Taylor, and Chet Atkins. Among his favorite tunes, mostly old jazz standards, include such favorites as Tenderly, Moonlight in Vermont, All of Me, They Can't Take That Away From Me, The Girl from Ipanema, Can't Help Lovin' That Man, Yesterday, The Shadow of Your Smile, The Nearness of You, Polka Dots and Moonbeans, So What, Autumn Leaves, Summertime, Song for My Father, Take Five, When I Fall in Love, Body and Soul, My Funny Valentine, My Romance, Sophisticated Lady, and bossa nova compositions.
Steve is married to Catherine Treadway Creech, originally from Gastonia, NC. The couple has two daughters, Stephanie Peo, a music teacher at Aycock Middle School and Rose High School, Greenvllle, NC and Cathy Kyriakakis, both of whom are vocalists, voice teachers, and have performed professionally. Stephanie is married to baritone Ron Peo, a former opera singer with Opera Nuremberg who performed widely throughout the United States and Europe for 25 years before relocating to Greenville, NC. They have one son, Stephen, 19, who has a four-year scholarship in opera at East Carolina University. Cathy teaches private voice lessons in her studio and her husband, Scott Kyriakakis, is an underwriter with Wells Fargo. They reside in Greemville, South Carolina. Steve is a charter member of the Greenville Noon Rotary Club, a former board member of the East Carolina University Friends of Jazz, guitarist with the Emerald City Big Band, a member of the East Carolina University Club Advisory Committee at Cypress Glen Retirement Community, a Centennial Pirate of the East Carolina University Alumni Association, a member of the Advisory Committee of the Associate of Fine Arts in Music at Pitt Community College, and past member of the Advisory Committee of the East Carolina University Performing Arts Series. Formerly, an avid tennis player, Steve was a member of the Baywood Racquet Club 9.5 State Champions Mixed Doubles Team and winner or finalist in 125 tournament events. He currently is an avid
pool player.