T.M. Stevens, the legendary bassist and solo artist, passed away on March 10, 2024, in his 73rd year, after a long battle with illness.
Thomas Michael Stevens was born in New York City. He first enrolled to study biology, but then a professor suggested he drop out and focus on music instead. He sharpened his talents and chops by playing hours upon hours in New York’s night clubs.
Stevens’ career took off in the seventies, when he played in a few funk bands based in Minneapolis and started recording albums with names like Narada Michael Walden and Yoshiaki Masuo, among others. In 1981 he moved to Los Angeles, where he eventually earned a reputation as one of the best-known and most respected session musicians around.
In Los Angeles, Stevens recorded his first album with the band The Space Cadets. A string of singles and albums followed, along with tours with plenty of well-known acts.
Stevens was always regarded as a virtuoso among bassists, with a unique way of expressing himself, blending elements of funk, rock, jazz and soul in his own distinctive style. He earned his highly regarded status in music circles through collaborations with many artists. Among the biggest icons (also in terms of commercial success), the names worth singling out are: Prince, Steve Vai, Joe Cocker, Billy Joel, Tina Turner and Cyndi Lauper.
Alongside his session bass work, Stevens also put out a few solo studio albums. With Out of Control he recorded the album “Boom”, followed a year later by “Sticky Wicked”. All told, he recorded seven solo works.
In 2017, Stevens’ friend Ronny Drayton announced on social media that Stevens was suffering from an advanced form of dementia and was in home care.
