Esteban

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This article is about a guitarist. For the animated character, see The Mysterious Cities of Gold.

Esteban onstage.

Esteban (born 1948 in Pittsburgh, PA) is the stage name of guitarist Stephen Paul. Recognizable by his bolero hat and sunglasses, Esteban has gained commercial success by selling his CDs and guitars on QVC and HSN.

1 Early life
2 Segovia years
3 Musical transformation
4 Commercial success
5 Criticism
6 Trivia
7 Discography
8 References

[edit] Early life

Esteban is the son of a steelworker and one of four children. Some of his earliest influences were Benny Goodman, Andrés Segovia, and Vincente Gomez. It was Esteban's uncle who bought him his first guitar, a nylon-stringed Goya, at eight and a half. Esteban taught himself to play and was soon winning talent shows at his school. By the age of 12, he was already teaching his peers for $3 a lesson. Esteban was also a baseball pitcher as a child. However, his baseball playing career ended when he was blinded in his left eye by a line drive. In 1967, Esteban graduated from South Hills Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, and enrolled in Carnegie Mellon University in 1972, after failing to study under one of his idols, Andrés Segovia.

[edit] Segovia years

At Carnegie Mellon University, Esteban double majored in music and English. He still managed to teach 150 students a week and play at night clubs. As his classical guitar skills progressed, his infatuation with Andrés Segovia grew. Esteban began seriously pursuing Segovia's instruction after college and sent the same message to every hotel he stayed at: "My life is meaningless unless I can study under you." They finally met in Los Angeles in 1972 after Esteban posed as a bellhop and knocked on Segovia's door. Esteban repeated his message and was instantly recognized. Esteban played for Segovia and was invited to his master classes in Spain. Eventually, Segovia gave private lessons to Esteban at his home in Madrid. For the next four years, Esteban studied under his idol ^{[citation needed]} before returning to California but was always bothered by Segovia's objection to flamenco music. During this time, Segovia gave Esteban his alias. In 1978, Esteban received Segovia's endorsement with the following message: "To Stephen Paul, who loves the guitar and the guitar loves him -- an artist."

[edit] Musical transformation

Later that year, Esteban moved to Phoenix with his wife and daughter after a major earthquake. In 1980, while driving his mother home from the airport, Esteban was involved in a collision with a drunk driver. He was left with broken ribs, missing teeth, and a light-sensitive right eye. He recovered but was left with nerve damage in his hands. Unable to play the guitar, he sold solar systems for Reynolds Aluminum. During his long recovery, Esteban experienced an epiphany: he was done following the precedents of classical guitarists. He vowed to play the music he loved and to share it with anybody he wanted. It wasn't until 1988 that Chinese herbs and acupuncture allowed Esteban to regain feeling in his hands, although his left hand has never fully regained coordination.

[edit] Commercial success

Esteban returned to the guitar by playing at a Hyatt Regency with a five-piece band. His charisma and charm always won over the audience. Esteban was playing five times a week, five hours a night, when he released his first album in 1991. It reflected his new approach, which was really a combination of many different music styles. His expressive songs and engaging personality continued to captivate audiences. One of Esteban's fans recommended him to Ingenious Designs LLC, a subsidiary of QVC. Executives of QVC were skeptical of the relatively unknown guitarist but after seeing him play, he was immediately offered a contract. He sold 50,000 albums after six concerts on QVC. Soon after, Ingenious Designs LLC was bought out by HSN and Esteban's commercial success soared. He sold 132,000 CDs after just two TV appearances and after one week his sales reached 53 on the Billboard 200. He quit his Hyatt gig to focus on his music and his career. He has since been featured in The Wall Street Journal and People Magazine. Esteban has also started a music division in which he sells affordable guitars to the masses. This has fulfilled a dream for Esteban.

As of 2005, Esteban has been featured in various television commercials parlaying his own success as a teacher and provider of music to the masses. He landed his first major CD distribution deal (with Sony RED Distribution) with the release of "The Best of Esteban"[1] in October, 2006.

[edit] Criticism

Esteban's guitars sold through QVC and HSN have been criticized as difficult to play due to the high action and poor intonation. These problems can be reduced, however, by sanding down the saddle. In extreme cases, owners have reported that the fretboard has become completely separated from the neck or some other defect rendering the guitar unplayable. Some HSN customers have found customer service to be lacking, finding it difficult to return the guitar. The newer Esteban American Legacy Guitar featured in TV infomercials has received a mix of positive and negative reviews. [2]