Mike Stevens (saxophonist)

Mike Stevens
Mike Stevens
	Musical director
Instrument(s)	Saxophone, keyboards, guitar, vocals
Years active	1980s–present

Michael William Stevens (born 26 January 1957)

musical director.^[3]

Biography

Born in

In 1992, Stevens was hired to work with newly formed pop group Take That, becoming their musical director the following year.^[4] He toured with the group until their split in 1996, playing keyboards, saxophone and guitar as well as providing backing vocals.^[3] His work with Take That made him an in-demand musical director for other touring pop groups; he subsequently directed Eurythmics, Mika, Sugababes, James Morrison, Will Young, Geri Halliwell, Boyzone, B*Witched, 911 and Five.^[3] Upon Take That's reformation in 2006, Stevens was re-hired as their musical director, employing musicians such as guitarist Milton McDonald, bassist Lee Pomeroy, drummer Donovan Hepburn, and keyboard players Bernie Smith and Marcus Byrne to create the live band.^[4]

Stevens has been a touring member of 10cc since 1999, playing keyboards and saxophone.^[5]

Stevens has been Annie Lennox's musical director and producer since 2002, producing the gold-certified albums A Christmas Cornucopia (2010) and Nostalgia (2014), both of which charted in the top ten of the UK and US album charts. Nostalgia was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards in 2014.

In 2012, Stevens led the

ELO at BBC Radio 2's Hyde Park festival in 2014, using the Take That/Gary Barlow band and the BBC Concert Orchestra to accompany Lynne and Richard Tandy. Stevens had previously worked with Lynne at the Children in Need Rocks 2013 concert, where Lynne and Tandy performed "Livin' Thing" and "Mr. Blue Sky" accompanied by Stevens and the Take That/Gary Barlow band.^[6]

Stevens has supervised or performed at events such as

^ "Mike Stevens". BBC Online. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Frost, Matt. "Royal Appointment—Mike Stevens: Musical Director For The Queen's Jubilee Concert". Sound on Sound. SOS Publications Group. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Take That Progress Tour". Roland. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
^ "10cc biography". 10cc. Archived from the original on 1 August 2010. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
^ Smith, Jeff (16 October 2014). "Mr Blue Sky thinking: How Radio 2 persuaded Jeff Lynne's ELO to play Hyde Park". BBC Online. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
^ Chadbourne, Eugene. "Mike Stevens biography". All Music. Retrieved 23 January 2015.

Authority control databases
International	ISNI VIAF
National	United States
Artists	MusicBrainz