Steven Sweet
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[edit] PERSONAL INFORMATION
Steven Sweet (Steven Chamberlin), is a Los Angeles-based drummer who is most famous for being a member of Warrant. Before joining Warrant he was in the glam metal band Plain Jane with Jani Lane. He currently lives with his wife Beth, a talented graduate of the Carnegie Mellon drama program and a musical artist in her own right. In addition to touring regularly with the band Warrant, Steven divides his time between studio session work, songwriting and portrait painting. He has a daughter who, though young, is already expressing her own musical and artistic talent. Steven also has his own business: painting portraits of beloved pets.
Steven grew up playing the drums and whatever instruments were available in the household. The second son in a family of three multi-talented boys, Steven showed artistic talent from an early age, creating illustrations, paintings and a gift for monster makeup. From an early age he displayed a precocious and uncanny ability to mimic the styles of his favorite drummers. Along with this ability came a remarkable vocal range. At age 15 he was pounding out the rhythms and belting out vocals for performance of the music of RUSH, Van Halen, ACDC and many others in bar bands with his brother, David (a studio owner and musical producer currently based out of the Los Angeles area.) Steven designed logos, (album artwork and marketing materials while still in his teens, showing the personal style and flair of celebrity while he was still a relative unknown.
[edit] WARRANT
Steven Sweet replaced original Warrant drummer Max Asher. He joined the band with lead singer and songwriter, Jani Lane (John Oswald) both of whom were born and raised near Cleveland, Ohio. After touring the club circuit in southern Florida in separate bands, Steven and Jani moved to the Los Angeles area. Steven, along with Jani were signed to the Columbia record label within two years of their arrival and subsequent collaboration with Erik Turner and Jerry Dixon of Warrant. Steven played the driving rhythms and sang soaring backup vocals on the album Dirty, Rotten, Filthy, Stinkin Rich which quickly sold 100,000 units thus making it a certifiable "Gold Record." The album produced a number two hit on the Billboard Top 40, a ballad entitled "Heaven". Only the now defamed duo, Milli Vanilli stood between Warrant and a number one hit. The band toured heavily, pushing the album into Platinum and quickly followed up with a second album, Cherry Pie which also went Platinum.
The band's videos were iconic, particularly "Cherry Pie" which featured a young blonde beauty serving up homemade pie in back of a cherry red convertible. Steven participated in the recording and video performance of a collaborative single, along with legendary stars of television, screen, and the Billboard charts - the proceeds of which benefitted AIDs research. The video captured the kind of energy evident in the previously released, "We Are The World" single. Steven can also be seen mugging for the camera on the band's own concert video which features videos, back-stage footage, interviews and a sample of the road trip that was Steven's life during the early years.
Warrant's sudden success and notoriety played havoc with the personal lives of its members. Steven experienced sudden prosperity and was soon living in the Hollywood Hills, visiting his home whenever there was a break in the touring schedule. Fortunes changed however with the commercial disappointment of Warrant's third release, Dog Eat Dog.
After Warrant's third studio album with Columbia, Dog Eat Dog, Steven Sweet was excluded from further touring with the band amidst the walkout of singer Jani Lane. With Joey Allen's departure soon after, the band members were not on good terms, though each continued to record on other projects. Steven and Joey remained good friends during the following decade.
Steven has since rejoined the new lineup of Warrant, consisting of all the original members: Joey Allen, Erik Turner, Jerry Dixon (and Steven Sweet). Lane has been replaced by Jaime St. James (former lead singer for Black and Blue). James' upbeat, energetic style and charismatic stage presence has led the band into a rennaisance of sorts, garnering the attention of old fans and earning new young fans as one of the best shows available to fans who are nostalgic for the rock of the early 90s and eager for new songs that capture the flavor of the band's earlier hit albums.
[edit] RECENT
Steven Sweet most recently collaborated in 2006 on the production and recording of Warrant's newest album, Born Again. The album signals the band's return to its roots and faithfully captures the excitement of the arena shows of Warrant's earlier years and highlights the talent of the current lineup.
Steven continues to record his own compositions when not touring. His vocal style is multifaceted, ranging from heavy rock, to soulful blues and R&B. However, his family is currently his most important vocation.
