Steve Poltz

Steve Poltz Biography

Steve Poltz (born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 19 February 1960) is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter and guitarist currently based in San Diego, CA. He is a founding member of 90s indie-rock band The Rugburns and collaborated on several songs with singer Jewel, including the 1996 single "You Were Meant for Me", which reached number 2 in the US. As a solo artist, he often performs acoustic. He trick-or-treated at Liberace’s house, planned a two-day stay in Amsterdam that ended a month later with him escaping the city under the cover of darkness, and was Bob Hope’s favorite altar boy. On top of that, he co-wrote the longest-running song on the Billboard Top 100, had a debut solo album that earned three and a half stars in Rolling Stone, and was awarded the title of “San Diego’s Most Influential Artist of the Decade” at the San Diego Music Awards. Born among in Halifax, Nova Scotia, his parents moved him to Palm Springs where he was raised. After the University of San Diego, Poltz became a full time musician. He started out playing bars and coffee houses around San Diego, eventually forming the college radio favorite band, The Rugburns. The Rugburns are well-known and appreciated by DJs all over the country, due in no small part to the fact that the anthemic “Dick’s Automotive” was long enough to afford them the opportunity to relieve themselves and then some during their shows. The Rugburns blended punk, pop, folk, and if you listen close enough, you might just hear the slightest hint of a whisper of the possibility of Swedish Christian Death Metal. They were so freaking good that they found themselves in a crappy old van 300+ days a year, playing packed and sold out clubs and bars all over the country. While performing dates at the Innerchange Coffeehouse in San Diego, he formed a relationship with Jewel, frequently opening for her on tours, co-writing songs, and appearing in her music video for "You Were Meant For Me." The song made it to Number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. In 1998, Poltz released his first solo album, One Left Shoe, for Mercury Records. Poltz collaborated as a songwriter with A. J. Croce on Croce's 2004 album Adrian James Croce. Dreamer: A Tribute to Kent Finlay, released in early 2016 on Austin-based Eight 30 Records, features Poltz' version of Finlay's "The Plight of the Bumblebee."