Away From The Spotlight
As a member of countless bands throughout his life, Steve Marriott had a passion for music that just wouldn’t go away, even amid an endless list of failures and heartaches. In the end, Steve realized that no amount of fame was worth all the pain and disappointment of the music industry, so he finally decided to take his career into his own hands. Unfortunately, that was when disaster struck.
1. He Was Sick From The Start
By the time Steve Marriott reached a point in his career that many musicians only dream of, he realized it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. However, his early years were no picnic either, especially since he came into the world a little worse for wear. Born on January 30, 1947, he was actually three weeks premature, which only made it easier for him to contract jaundice—forcing him to spend his first four weeks alive in the hospital.
Even when he wasn’t in trouble, he was making trouble for others.
Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images
2. He Was A Problem Child
As Steve grew up, he surprised his parents, who found that their sickly baby had turned into an almost unrecognizable ball of energy with a tendency to get up to no good. To everyone who knew him, he developed a reputation for practical jokes, and—although he always denied it—allegedly even started a fire in one of his classrooms.
Fortunately, his family found other ways to keep him occupied.
Acid Fusion, Wikimedia Commons
3. He Supported His Passion
Naturally, pranks weren’t the only thing Steve Marriott loved in his childhood, and he quickly developed an interest in music through watching his father, Bill, play piano in various pubs. Bill wasn’t ignorant of this either, and encouraged Steve to pursue music by buying him a harmonica and a ukulele—both of which the young boy taught himself to play.
Still, he wasn’t just a musician—he was a performer at heart.
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4. He Gained Some Early Experience
Much like his father, Steve found a passion in playing his music for others, so he took every chance he could to perform for an audience. Sometimes this meant entering talent shows, while other times he would simply busk for change around nearby bus stops. Either way, these allowed him to first showcase what would become his trademark voice.
Eventually, he was lucky enough to find some like-minded people.
Klaus Hiltscher, Wikimedia Commons
5. He Created His First Band
With a mind to start his music career as soon as possible, Steve was on the lookout for anyone who might want to join him on his journey, but he didn’t have to look far. With two of his friends from school, the 12-year-old musician created the first in a long list of bands, initially calling themselves The Wheels—although they went through a couple of name changes.
Meanwhile, his father wasn’t the only musician he aspired to be like.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
6. He Liked His Image
Growing up in 1950s England, Steve Marriott had his fair share of great musicians to look up to, and although he had no shortage of local singers as potential role models, his favorite was from across the pond. Taking great inspiration from the iconic Buddy Holly, Steve even went so far as to steal part of his look by wearing large-rimmed glasses—without lenses, though.
As it turned out, his performance was better than he imagined.
Brunswick Records, Wikimedia Commons
7. They All Agreed
Steve’s similarities to Buddy Holly didn’t stop at his glasses, and in fact, he emulated the singer so well that his bandmates started calling him “Buddy” as a nickname. More than that, when he wrote his first song, “Shelia My Dear,” many listeners commented that its style was similar to that of Buddy Holly’s music.
At the same time, he suddenly got a chance at another career.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
8. He Found An Opportunity
Only a year after Steve Marriott formed The Wheels, he added to his plate by joining the ranks of another facet of the entertainment industry—even if he didn’t know it at first. One day, while reading the paper, Steve’s father noticed a casting call for the role of the Artful Dodger in the West End musical, Oliver!, and signed Steve up without even asking him first.
Thankfully, it turned out that Bill made the right call.
Fondo Antiguo de la Biblioteca de la Universidad de Sevilla from Sevilla, España, Wikimedia Commons
9. He Was Impressive
Although his father had sprung the audition on him without warning, Steve still went and gave it his all, reportedly wowing the musical’s creator, Lionel Bart. Playing several roles, Steve joined the cast of Oliver! for the next year, during which he managed to make some profit for himself as the job paid £8 per week.
Suddenly, he wasn’t the only one with a say in his future.
Allan warren, Wikimedia Commons
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10. They Pushed Him To It
Seeing that their son had such a potentially lucrative career ahead of him, Steve’s parents urged him to continue past his tenure in Oliver! and pursue acting full-time. At only 14 years old, Steve was hardly in any position to refuse, so he enrolled at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. However, despite their insistence, his family couldn’t afford the cost, so any fees would come out of whatever acting work Steve found while attending.
Fortunately, it seems his successful debut wasn’t just a fluke.
Silver Screen Collection, Getty Images
11. He Always Had Work
Throughout the early 1960s, Steve proved that he had the talent to sustain himself as an actor, and not just in live theatre. Although his debut in Oliver! caused him to get typecast as other similar Cockney child characters, he expanded into other media, including radio, film, and television.
When it came down to it, however, he wasn’t happy.
ullstein bild Dtl., Getty Images
12. They Didn’t Talk Anymore
Steve Marriott clearly had what it took to become a famous actor, but as the 1960s progressed, he realized that he had never actually wanted that. Turning his back on acting for good, he decided to pursue music again, as it had always been his dream. His parents weren’t as supportive this time around and tried to convince him to continue, but the resulting conflict only prompted him to leave home.
Luckily, he found other people to surround himself with.
Dina Regine, Wikimedia Commons
13. He Found Another Group
Back on his quest to make it big in the music world, Steve was fortunate enough to have already created another group in 1963, The Frantiks. Even while he was training as an actor and appearing in various roles, he was trying to get his newest band on the map by covering “Move It” by Cliff Richard as a single.
Of course, this wouldn’t have the same instant success as his acting.
14. They Changed Their Name
Producing their cover of “Move It,” The Frantiks went around town offering it to several major record labels, but nobody was biting. Seeing this as a small setback and a chance to regroup, Steve and his bandmates decided to rename the group, calling themselves The Moments—or sometimes even Marriott and his Moments.
Still, things just weren’t working out for them—and especially not for Steve.
Jim Summaria, Wikimedia Commons
15. They Didn’t Want Him Anymore
To break into the American market, The Moments tried to record another cover, and this time of the iconic song by The Kinks, “You Really Got Me”. Unfortunately, this cover didn’t perform any better than their first one, and Steve Marriott became their scapegoat. Saying he was too young to be singing lead, the band kicked Steve out in 1964.
However, he was about to have an even more fateful encounter.
Screenshot from You Really Got Me, Pye Records (1964)
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16. He Ran Into His Future Bandmate
After the disappointment of being fired from his band, Steve was unsure about where he would find his next opportunity to form a new group, but it was closer than he realized. Working at a music store to pay the bills, Steve happened to encounter musician Ronnie Lane when he walked in to buy a new bass. Little did he know, this was a glimpse into his future, as Ronnie would later help him form the band Small Faces.
This was clearly more than just a passing acquaintance.
17. They Had A Lot In Common
Having already met once before at a performance earlier that year, Steve and Ronnie got to talking and immediately hit it off. In fact, Steve had such a great early impression of Ronnie that he invited him over to listen to records. Ronnie was a big fan of R&B, and as fate would have it, Steve owned a collection of rare American R&B import records.
Obviously, they had a lot of fun together—sometimes too much.
18. He Ruined Their Gig
After getting to know Ronnie’s friend Kenney Jones as well, Steve Marriott was eager to perform with the two musicians, who thankfully invited him to join their band for a gig. However, the evening descended into disaster as the three of them drank more and more, and culminated when, as a drunken joke, Steve destroyed the piano he was playing. Although this got the band kicked out, Ronnie and Kenney were the ones egging him on,
With this, all three of them knew they were in it for the long run.
19. He Turned Him Down
Despite still being in the early phase of his career, Steve had the chance to collaborate with someone who would become one of the greatest musicians in history. As another singer who loved R&B just as much as Steve, David Bowie invited him to form an R&B duo under the name “David and Goliath”. It was a tempting offer, but Ronnie and Kenney’s band had just split up, so Steve agreed to form a new group with them instead.
Committing to their band, they soon found their identity—even if it wasn’t their idea.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
20. She Thought Of It
Bringing along a friend of his named Jimmy Winston, Steve, Ronnie, and Kenney formed their new band—but still needed a name. Luckily, another of Steve’s friends, a girl named Annabel, gave them an idea when she joked that they all had “small faces”. Steve and the others loved this and thought it would be the perfect band name, especially since “face” was also a term of endearment in English mod culture, and most of them were short in stature.
With this new group, Steve had even more brushes with future stars of the music world.
Cashbox Magazine, Wikimedia Commons
21. He Influenced Other Big Names
As it happened, David Bowie wasn’t the only budding rock star Steve encountered, since Small Faces was gaining a decent following in the English music scene. One of their biggest fans was none other than future Led Zeppelin lead singer, Robert Plant, who even ran errands for Steve and his bandmates. Furthermore, the Led Zeppelin song “Whole Lotta Love” was specifically inspired by Steve’s cover of the song, “You Need Lovin”.
Suddenly, these kinds of famous encounters became much more commonplace.
Atlantic Records, Wikimedia Commons
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22. They Were Party Animals
By this point, the members of Small Faces were getting a taste of success as they were already signed with manager Don Arden, who put them up in a swanky new house in 1965. Still, they mostly saw this as a place to throw as many parties as possible, often with more big-name musicians in attendance, such as Marianne Faithfull and Pete Townshend.
At the same time, not everything was perfect behind the scenes.
23. They Changed Hands
Don Arden was a titan in music management during this time, but was definitely more notorious than beloved, due to his questionable practices and unpleasant personality. It was only a matter of time before his contract with Small Faces fell apart, and in 1967, he sold the band to Immediate Records after they fought him over unpaid royalties.
Meanwhile, Steve met someone who would change his life even more.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
24. He Was In Love With Her
Among all the new names and faces Steve Marriott met over many parties and performances, one stood out from the moment he laid eyes on her in 1966—a model named Jenny Rylance. Although he couldn’t stop thinking about her, she was dating the young Rod Stewart at the time, so Steve resigned himself to being her friend and nothing more.
Of course, this personal boundary wouldn’t last for that long.
George Wilkes Archive, Getty Images
25. He Wrote It For Her
Steve may have told himself he was content being Jenny’s friend, but only until she broke up with Rod Stewart, since the two started seeing each other almost immediately. This too was only fleeting, as she soon returned to her ex-boyfriend, but even that wasn’t meant to last. Ultimately, Jenny permanently ended things with Rod Stewart, at which point Steve wrote the song “Tin Soldier” to show her how he still felt after all this time.
This worked much better than he ever hoped it would.
Bruce Alan Bennett, Shutterstock
26. They Tied The Knot
Steve Marriott had already proven himself to be a talented songwriter, so as expected, Small Faces released “Tin Soldier” to great acclaim—but that wasn’t all that came of it. As Steve discovered, Jenny’s feelings for him hadn’t changed either, and the song helped bring them together once again. This time, it wasn’t just a fling, and they finally married each other in the spring of 1968.
At the same time, the professional side of his life wasn’t doing as well.
27. He Had Different Goals
With the 1968 release of Small Face’s concept album, Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake, the band gained another success under their belt, but not everyone was happy about it. In the wake of the album’s release, Steve began to feel like the group’s creativity was stagnating and tried to introduce some new ideas, only for his bandmates to shoot them down.
Sadly, this only made his resentment grow over time.
Screenshot from Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake – Colour Me Pop Performance, BBC (1968)
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28. He Was Fed Up With Them
Not only was Steve Marriott unsatisfied with Small Faces, but he had also begun preferring the company of musicians Greg Ridley and Peter Frampton. Soon enough, even the public suspected the band would break up before long, a theory that was ultimately confirmed on New Year's Eve, 1968. During a performance that night, Steve had had enough and stormed out in the middle of the set, announcing his departure in no uncertain terms.
This didn’t mean he was out of a job, though.
29. He Was Finally Free
Steve would likely have been more hesitant to quit Small Faces if he didn’t have anything else lined up, but luckily, his meetings with Peter Frampton and Greg Ridley weren’t just friendly jam sessions. Joining their new band, Humble Pie, Steve immediately felt more appreciated and excited, as his new bandmates granted him the creative freedom he had been missing for a long time.
Furthermore, he could finally take center stage as the band’s powerhouse.
Premier Talent Associates (management), Wikimedia Commons
30. He Became The Focus
When Steve first joined Humble Pie, he was happy to share the spotlight with his band members, but that changed when they hired their new manager, Dee Anthony. Suddenly, Steve was being recognized more for his powerful vocals, as the manager urged him to be front and center during performances.
Unfortunately, not all of his changes were for the better.
31. He Became More Erratic
As the band’s new focus, Steve Marriott spent the next few years as the face of Humble Pie as they toured the US, but many would say this was when everything went downhill. While on tour, he started experimenting with harder illicit substances, which reportedly turned him into a completely different person to his friends and family.
Before long, this was affecting more than just his career.
32. She Couldn’t Take It Anymore
For five years, Jenny stuck by Steve through everything, from his greatest successes to all the issues he faced as a member of Small Faces, but enough was enough. She could no longer sit by and watch him destroy himself through drinking and illicit substances, so she eventually worked up the courage to divorce him in 1973.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the wake-up call he so desperately needed.
33. He Grew Even Worse
If his substance use hadn’t changed him enough, the loss of his marriage pushed Steve over the brink until his bandmates couldn’t stand to be around him anymore than they had to. His role in the band seemed to go to his head, with him becoming unnecessarily hostile and almost tyrannical. Unsurprisingly, this caused a major rift in the group, and Humble Pie officially split up in 1975.
Still, even in this state, he managed to find love again.
A&M Records, Wikimedia Commons
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34. He Found Someone Else
A couple of years after he had split with Jenny, Steve was ready to open himself up to another relationship, and he didn’t have to search for too long. Meeting air hostess Pam Stephens in 1975, the two hit it off and began seeing each other, but their relationship moved pretty quickly. The following year, she gave birth to their son, Toby, prompting Pam and Steve to marry shortly after.
However, this didn’t mean he had turned his life around.
35. He Got Them Back
By the late 1970s, any money Steve Marriott had received from his time in Humble Pie had dwindled, leaving him so desperate that he resorted to stealing vegetables from his neighbor’s field just to survive. This meant that when he received an offer to reunite Humble Pie in exchange for a substantial sum of money, he couldn’t refuse. Calling former bandmate Jerry Shirley, Steve pitched the reunion, and—to his surprise—Jerry was on board.
Even so, he was still far from getting his act together.
Majalah Varianada, Wikimedia Commons
36. He Was Spiraling Downward
Since Steve wasn’t in a much better place than before, his second marriage wasn’t turning out any better either, and Pam was similarly fed up with his behavior. Things only got worse for him as, while he was dealing with his marital strife, he also broke his wrist by slamming it in a door, and the new version of Humble Pie quickly fell apart without him.
While at his lowest, there was one person he wanted to check on more than anything.
37. He Wanted To See Him Again
Once again without a band, Steve found himself looking back at all his mistakes, which only made him long for one of his first truly close friends—Ronnie Lane. Although he hadn’t told Steve initially, Ronnie had received a multiple sclerosis diagnosis back in the Small Faces days and was in a wheelchair by the time they met again in 1981. Amid tears and apologies, Steve invited Ronnie to perform with him again, to which Ronnie agreed.
However, this posed its own set of problems.
38. They Couldn’t Tour
As their idea for a new project came together, Steve and Ronnie were ecstatic to start working on it and recruited five other musicians to help create what eventually became the album Majik Mijits. Unfortunately, this was as far as their collaboration went, as Ronnie’s condition prevented him from joining the others on tour. In the end, Steve said farewell to his friend and returned to performing on the club circuit.
Behind the scenes, his marriage was getting the final nail in its coffin.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
39. She Discovered His Secret
Due to his unhealthy lifestyle and behaviors, Steve Marriott and his wife, Pam, had been distant for the past few years, but it was about to get a whole lot worse. He tried to patch things up with her, but it came to light that he was having an affair with a woman named Terry Elias—who was also pregnant with his child. This was the final straw for Pam, and she became the second woman to divorce him.
At the end of his rope, he had nowhere else to go but back to his roots.
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40. He Went Home
Without a home or even friends to turn to, Steve decided it would be best to lean on his family, so he moved in with his sister, Kay. Although it hadn’t yet worked out for the best, Steve wanted to give forming a band another shot, and he put together a group called Packet of Three. This was far from the level of fame he had reached with his other groups, especially since he was trying to lay low and under the radar of the tax man.
Thankfully, he met someone who seemed much more suited to him.
41. She Was Able To Help Him
Although down on his luck, Steve wouldn’t give up on trying to carve out his own version of happiness, which meant that he was ready to get back in the dating game—and this time with someone more familiar. Reaching out to his long-time friend, Manon Piercey, the two were able to reconnect and even moved in together. Furthermore, she helped him to overcome some of his more unhealthy habits, and they even welcomed a daughter in 1985.
Still, this wasn’t enough to keep him from being unfaithful.
42. He Moved On To Someone Else
Sadly, Steve’s relationship with Manon would be even more fleeting than his others, as in the same year of their daughter’s birth, he began seeing a woman named Toni Poulton. Meeting her at one of his performances, he wasted no time in moving with Toni into a cottage, and later marrying her in 1989.
Finally, he found the exact kind of fame he was looking for.
43. They All Knew Him
Despite moving to the quaint village of Arkesden, away from the bustling music industry, Steve Marriott couldn’t help but become known around town in one way or another. Everyone saw him as a quirky character in the neighborhood who enjoyed frequenting the nearby pub and even playing the odd prank on the establishment’s owner.
On the other hand, some were far less fond of his new lifestyle.
Watal Asanuma/Shinko Music, Getty Images
44. They Became Bitter Towards Him
Steve seemed to prefer the quieter life he was living to that of a famous rockstar, and it wasn’t hard to see why. Over his many endeavors in the music industry, he had developed a strong distaste for that level of fame and was happy to remain relatively small-time with Packet of Three. However, his bandmates didn’t feel the same way, so when he began declining major record deals, they realized he was only weighing them down.
Unfortunately, they weren’t the only ones he was butting heads with.
45. They Fought The Whole Time
Although the disagreement between Steve and his bandmates led to another of his bands splitting up, he continued to work on projects for years, including an album with Peter Frampton in 1991. Behind the scenes, though, his and Toni’s relationship wasn’t doing so well, as was evident on the plane trip back from his time in America with Peter. Drinking throughout the whole flight, Steve spent the entire time picking fights with his wife.
This animosity between the two of them didn’t stop there.
Carl Lender, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
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46. They Continued To Argue
Despite the constant tension between Steve and Toni, they made it through the flight back to the UK on April 19 and even agreed to meet a friend for dinner that night. This proved to be only a pause, however, as when they returned to their friend’s house and chose to stay the night, they went right back to fighting while in bed.
Tragically, this would be Toni’s last conversation with Steve.
Angela Deane-Drummond, Getty Images
47. He Was Gone
While they likely could have fought the rest of the night, Steve, especially, was quite inebriated, and the couple eventually fell asleep. However, when Toni woke up after a couple of hours, she realized that Steve had gone home in a cab while she was sleeping. This had been a disastrous decision, since at around 6:30 in the morning, a passerby alerted the authorities to a fire at Steve and Toni’s cottage.
In a horrible twist, he tried to fight till the very end.
Majalah Varianada, Wikimedia Commons
48. He Tried To Get Out
The fire brigade arrived on the scene and eventually managed to put out the blaze, but it was too late for Steve. As they discovered his body still in his bedroom, but on his floor between the wall and his bed, they concluded that he was trying to escape. According to investigators, he likely woke up to the fire, but was far too out of it to know which direction led to the exit.
In the end, they discovered who the culprit had been.
49. He May Have Caused It
While fires can have many potential causes, investigators felt fairly confident that—in his sleep-addled state—Steve Marriott had accidentally set the fire that took his life. As he had just gotten off a flight and had been drinking excessively, the theory was that he lit a smoke in bed once he got home, only to fall asleep while his room caught fire.
Despite his horrific end, his legacy would never disappear.
50. He Nearly Became A Stone
Way back in 1975, Steve’s life had almost taken a completely different turn. When Mick Taylor left the Rolling Stones, they needed a replacement. Marriott was under consideration, favored by Keith Richards, and even auditioned for the band. According to his second wife, it was like a dream come true for Marriott, who loved the Stones—but he was rejected for a ridiculous reason.
Mick Jagger reportedly put the kibosh on him joining the band after it became clear that Steve would upstage him.
50. He Was Remembered For His Voice
Growing up with a dream of becoming a rock star, Steve Marriott achieved what he believed he wanted, only to learn that the reality was very different. Disillusioned by the industry and all the strings that came with fame, he preferred to fall into relative obscurity. While he may not have the same legacy as other big names, he left his mark on history, and Mojo even named him as one of the 100 greatest singers of all time.
Klaus Hiltscher, Wikimedia Commons
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