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Stephen Paul (born 1947 or 1948) is an American classical guitarist best known by the stage name Esteban.^[1] He is from the Pittsburgh area and has lived in Tempe, Arizona since 1976.^[1]

He has sold instructional DVDs and guitars on home-shopping channels QVC and the HSN.

Biography

Paul was the oldest of four children. He began playing guitar at the age of eight when his uncle brought him a nylon-stringed guitar.^[1] He attended South Hills Catholic High School (since absorbed into Seton-La Salle Catholic High School) in Mt. Lebanon.^[2] He then attended Carnegie Mellon University, where he double-majored in music and English. At this time, he was teaching approximately 150 students a week and playing in nightclubs.^[1]

Segovia

Esteban then wished to study with Andrés Segovia. Esteban claims, after a long period where he pursued Segovia by sending notes to the hotels where he was staying, he finally met Segovia in Los Angeles in 1972 and studied with him intermittently for the next five years, splitting his time between Spain and California.

The extent of the connection between Segovia and Esteban, however, is heavily disputed. Although Esteban did meet Segovia, Esteban is not mentioned in any biography of Segovia, and Esteban never received the public acknowledgment Segovia gave students such as John Williams and Eliot Fisk. Segovia autographed one of his books for Esteban in 1978 with a flattering message, but Segovia is known to have signed hundreds or thousands of such messages.^[1]

Album release

Esteban had been playing at a Hyatt Regency hotel when he released his first album in 1991.^[3] In 1999, Esteban came to the attention of Joy Mangano at Ingenious Designs, inventor of several products sold on the QVC home-shopping channel. She invited Esteban to play on QVC in November 1999. Esteban sold 132,000 CDs after two appearances on HSN in the summer of 2000, and two of his albums reached the top 54 entries in the Billboard 200.^[1] Esteban quit playing at the Hyatt in 2000.^[4] From 2001 to 2003, Esteban released over a dozen additional albums, four of which placed in the lower half of the Billboard 200.^[5] He has appeared in several infomercials advertising his guitars and instructional DVDs.^[6]

Discography

Duende (1991)
Songs From My Heart (1992)
Spirits of the West (1993)
What Child Is This? (1994)
Flamenco Y Rosas (1995) 2-CD set
Pasión (1997)
Enter the Heart (1998)
Heart of Gold (1999)
All My Love (2000)
At Home With Esteban (2000) 2-CD set
Esteban Live! (2001) 2-CD set
Flame, Flamenco & Romance, Vol. 1 (2001) 2-CD set
Esteban By Request (2001) 4-CD set
Holiday Trilogy (2001) 3-CD set includes A Classic Christmas, A Traditional Christmas, and A 21st Century Christmas
Joy To The World (2001)
Happy Holidays, With Love (2002) 2-CD set
Flame, Flamenco & Romance, Vol. 2 (2002) 2-CD set
Walk Beside Me: The Greatest Inspirational Songs Of All Time (2002) 2-CD set
Eternal Love (2002) 2-CD set
Celebrate the Memories (2002)
Back 2 Back (2003) 2-CD set
Magic Moments (2003)
Live in Sedona (2003) 2-CD set
Happy Holidays, With Love (Esteban's Favorite Holiday Treasures) (2003)
Favorite Holiday Memories (2003)
Classic Holiday Memories (2003)
Father/Daughter (2004) 2-CD set
The New Flamenco Y Rosas (2006)
Best of Esteban (2006)
Wear the Black (A Tribute to Johnny Cash) (2011) 2-CD set

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Garcia, Gilbert (September 21, 2000). "The Tao of Esteban". Phoenix New Times. Archived from the original on April 13, 2008. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
^ South Hills Catholic reunion with Esteban, Al Lowe, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 8, 2007; accessed June 15, 2007.
^ Esteban—Discography—Main Albums, Allmusic. Accessed on line November 9, 2007.
^ Esteban at Arizona Celebrity Sightings. Accessed on line June 15, 2007.
^ Esteban—Charts & Awards, Allmusic, accessed on line November 9, 2007.
^ Esteban, entry at Allmusic; accessed June 15, 2007.

External links

Official website
Esteban, entry at Allmusic.
The Tao of Esteban Archived December 17, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, Gilbert Garcia, Phoenix New Times, September 21, 2000.

[pnt-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Garcia, Gilbert (September 21, 2000). "The Tao of Esteban". Phoenix New Times. Archived from the original on April 13, 2008. Retrieved February 14, 2024.

[shc-2] South Hills Catholic reunion with Esteban, Al Lowe, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 8, 2007; accessed June 15, 2007.

[3] Esteban—Discography—Main Albums, Allmusic. Accessed on line November 9, 2007.

[4] Esteban at Arizona Celebrity Sightings. Accessed on line June 15, 2007.

[5] Esteban—Charts & Awards, Allmusic, accessed on line November 9, 2007.

[amg-6] Esteban, entry at Allmusic; accessed June 15, 2007.

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[2]

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[6]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{short description|American musician}}
 {{about|the guitarist Esteban|other uses|Esteban (name)}}
+{{use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
-'''Esteban''' (born 1948 in [[Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]])  is the [[stage name]] of classical/flamenco guitarist '''Stephen Paul'''.<ref name="pnt">[http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2000-09-21/news/the-tao-of-esteban/ The Tao of Esteban], Gilbert Garcia, ''Phoenix New Times'', [[September 21]], [[2000]], accessed on line [[June 15]], [[2007]].</ref>  Recognizable by his bolero hat and sunglasses, Esteban has gained commercial success by selling his CDs and guitars on [[QVC]] and [[HSN]].<ref name="amg">[http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=&sql=11:am6zefikhgf3 Esteban], entry at [[Allmusic]].  Accessed on line [[June 15]], [[2007]].</ref><ref name="shc">[http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07039/760156-55.stm South Hills Catholic reunion with Esteban], Al Lowe, ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', [[February 8]], [[2007]].  Accessed on line [[June 15]], [[2007]].</ref>
+{{use American English|date=February 2024}}
-==History==
+{{Multiple issues|
-Esteban, the son of a steelworker, was the oldest of four children.  He recounts that he began playing guitar at the age of eight when his uncle brought him a nylon-stringed guitar.<ref name="pnt" />  He attended South Hills Catholic High School (since absorbed into [[Seton-La Salle Catholic High School]]) in [[Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania|Mt. Lebanon]].<ref name="shc" />   He then attended [[Carnegie Mellon University]], where he double-majored in music and English.  According to Esteban, at this time, he was teaching approximately 150 students a week and playing in nightclubs.<ref name="pnt" />
+{{COI|date=April 2018}}
+{{BLP sources|date=April 2018}}
+}}
+'''Stephen Paul''' (born <!-- Valid citation required if adding EXACT DATE OF BIRTH for BLP. (WP:BLPPRIVACY) -->{{birth based on age as of date|52|2000|9|21}|noage=yes}}) is an American [[classical guitar|classical guitarist]] best known by the [[stage name]] '''Esteban'''.<ref name="pnt">{{cite news |last=Garcia |first=Gilbert |date=2000-09-21 |title=The Tao of Esteban |url=http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2000-09-21/news/the-tao-of-esteban/full |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080413070423/http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2000-09-21/news/the-tao-of-esteban/full |archive-date=2008-04-13 |work=[[Phoenix New Times]] |access-date=2024-02-14}}</ref> He is from the [[Pittsburgh]] area and has lived in [[Tempe, Arizona]] since 1976.<ref name="pnt"/>
+He has sold instructional [[DVD|DVDs]] and guitars on home-shopping channels [[QVC]] and the [[Home Shopping Network|HSN]].
+==Biography==
+Paul was the oldest of four children. He began playing guitar at the age of eight when his uncle brought him a nylon-stringed guitar.<ref name="pnt"/> He attended South Hills Catholic High School (since absorbed into [[Seton-La Salle Catholic High School]]) in [[Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania|Mt. Lebanon]].<ref name="shc">[http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07039/760156-55.stm South Hills Catholic reunion with Esteban], Al Lowe, ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', February 8, 2007; accessed June 15, 2007.</ref> He then attended [[Carnegie Mellon University]], where he double-majored in music and English. At this time, he was teaching approximately 150 students a week and playing in nightclubs.<ref name="pnt"/>
 ===Segovia===
-Esteban states that at this point in his studies of the guitar, he felt a strong desire to study with [[Andrés Segovia]].  According to Esteban, after a long period where he pursued Segovia by sending notes to the hotels he was staying at, he at last met Segovia in [[Los Angeles]] in 1972 and studied with him intermittently for the next five years, splitting his time between [[Spain]] and [[California]].  The extent of the connection between Segovia and Esteban, however, is heavily disputed. Although Esteban did meet Segovia, Esteban is not mentioned in any biography of Segovia, and Esteban never received the public acknowledgment Segovia gave students such as [[John Williams (guitarist)|John Williams]] and [[Eliot Fisk]]. Segovia [[autograph]]ed one of his books for Esteban in 1978 with a flattering message, but Segovia is known to have signed hundreds or thousands of such messages.<ref name="pnt" />
+Esteban then wished to study with [[Andrés Segovia]]. Esteban claims, after a long period where he pursued Segovia by sending notes to the hotels where he was staying, he finally met Segovia in [[Los Angeles]] in 1972 and studied with him intermittently for the next five years, splitting his time between [[Spain]] and [[California]].
-===Musical transformation===
-According to Esteban, he moved from [[Southern California]] to [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]] with his wife and daughter in 1978.  During the next two years, he toured playing classical music.  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 eye.  He recovered but was left with nerve damage in his hands. Unable to play the guitar, he sold solar energy systems for Reynolds Aluminum.  During his long recovery, he decided to move away from playing only classical music.  After recovering some of the use of his fingers in 1988, he had begun playing again by the end of 1989.<ref name="pnt" />
+The extent of the connection between Segovia and Esteban, however, is heavily disputed. Although Esteban did meet Segovia, Esteban is not mentioned in any biography of Segovia, and Esteban never received the public acknowledgment Segovia gave students such as [[John Williams (guitarist)|John Williams]] and [[Eliot Fisk]]. Segovia [[autograph]]ed one of his books for Esteban in 1978 with a flattering message, but Segovia is known to have signed hundreds or thousands of such messages.<ref name="pnt"/>
-===Commercial success===
-At this time, Esteban was playing at a [[Hyatt Regency]] hotel.  He released his first album in 1991.<ref>[http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:giftxqq5ldae~T2 Esteban&mdash;Discography&mdash;Main Albums], [[Allmusic]].  Accessed on line [[November 9]], [[2007]].</ref>  He hired a keyboardist in 1992 and has subsequently added a five-piece band including drummer [[Joe Morris (drummer)|Joe Morris]].  Audiences responded well to Esteban's charisma and frequently bought his albums.<ref name="pnt" />  In 1999, Esteban came to the attention of [[Joy Mangano]] at Ingenious Designs, inventor of the Miracle Mop and other household accessories sold on [[QVC]].  She recognized Esteban's charisma and he was invited to play on QVC in November 1999.  Soon after, Ingenious Designs was bought out by [[HSN]] and Esteban achieved commercial success. He sold 132,000 CDs after two appearances on HSN in the summer of 2000, and two of his albums reached the top 54 entries in the [[Billboard 200]].<ref name="pnt" />  Esteban quit playing at the Hyatt in 2000.<ref>[http://doney.net/aroundaz/celebrity/esteban.htm Esteban] at Arizona Celebrity Sightings.  Accessed on line [[June 15]], [[2007]].</ref> He has since been featured in ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' and ''[[People Magazine]]''.<ref>[http://www.estebanmusic.com/bio.html Bio], Esteban official website.  Accessed on line [[June 15]], [[2007]].</ref>  From 2001 to 2003, Esteban released over a dozen additional albums, four of which placed in the lower half of the Billboard 200.<ref>[http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:giftxqq5ldae~T5 Esteban&mdash;Charts & Awards], [[Allmusic]], accessed on line [[November 9]], [[2007]].</ref>  He has also been featured in various infomercials advertising his guitars and instructional DVDs.<ref name="amg" />  Esteban landed his first major CD distribution deal (with Sony [[RED Distribution]]) with the release of ''The Best of Esteban'' in October, 2006.<ref>[http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=23209 ''Best of Esteban''], review, Chris M. Slaweci, allaboutjazz.com.  Accessed on line [[June 15]], [[2007]].</ref><ref>[http://www.socal.com/articles/2705-72.html Livin’ the Dream: Esteban Brings His Music to the Mainstream], Heather Turk, socal.com, accessed on line [[June 15]], [[2007]].</ref> It is a popular belief that the band [[Panic! at the Disco]] named a song after him, [[I Constantly Thank God for Esteban]]. This, however, is a direct reference to the 2004 Wes Anderson film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, which starred Bill Murray.
-==Criticism==
+===Album release===
+Esteban had been playing at a [[Hyatt|Hyatt Regency]] hotel when he released his first album in 1991.<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p2553|pure_url=yes}} Esteban&mdash;Discography&mdash;Main Albums], [[Allmusic]].  Accessed on line November 9, 2007.</ref>
-Esteban has used Segovia heavily in his marketing, citing himself, for example, as being "one of 14 guitarists in the world endorsed by the legendary [[Andrés Segovia]]."  Critics have pointed out that Esteban began making these claims only after Segovia had died, making them impossible to verify, and that it is unlikely that Segovia, a classical purist, would have approved of Esteban's form of popular music.<ref name="pnt" />
+In 1999, Esteban came to the attention of [[Joy Mangano]] at Ingenious Designs, inventor of several products sold on the [[QVC]] home-shopping channel.  She invited Esteban to play on QVC in November 1999. Esteban sold 132,000 CDs after two appearances on HSN in the summer of 2000, and two of his albums reached the top 54 entries in the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]].<ref name="pnt" />  Esteban quit playing at the Hyatt in 2000.<ref>[http://doney.net/aroundaz/celebrity/esteban.htm Esteban] at Arizona Celebrity Sightings.  Accessed on line June 15, 2007.</ref>   From 2001 to 2003, Esteban released over a dozen additional albums, four of which placed in the lower half of the Billboard 200.<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p2553|pure_url=yes}} Esteban&mdash;Charts & Awards], [[Allmusic]], accessed on line November 9, 2007.</ref> He has appeared in several infomercials advertising his guitars and instructional DVDs.<ref name="amg">[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p2553|pure_url=yes}} Esteban], entry at [[Allmusic]]; accessed June 15, 2007.</ref>
 == Discography ==
-* ''The Best of Esteban'' (2006)
+* ''Duende'' (1991)
-* ''The New Flamenco Y Rosas'' (2006)
+* ''Songs From My Heart'' (1992)
-* ''Father/Daughter'' (2004)
+* ''Spirits of the West'' (1993)
-* ''Celebrate the Memories'' (2004)
+* ''What Child Is This?'' (1994)
-* ''Back 2 Back'' (2003)
+* ''Flamenco Y Rosas'' (1995) 2-CD set
+* ''Pasión'' (1997)
-* ''Esteban & Friends: Live in Sedona'' (2003)
-* ''Happy Holidays'' (2003)
-* ''Live in Sedona'' (2003)
-* ''Eternal Love'' (2003)
-* ''Walk Beside Me'' (2002)
-* ''Flame, Flamenco & Romance, Vol. 2'' (2002)
-* ''Esteban By Request'' (2001)
-* ''Flame, Flamenco & Romance, Vol. 1'' (2001)
-* ''Esteban Live'' (2001)
-* ''Joy to the World'' (2001)
-* ''Holiday Trilogy'' (2001)
-* ''At Home With Esteban'' (2001)
-* ''All My Love'' (2001)
-* ''Duende'' (2001)
-* ''What Child Is This'' (2001)
-* ''Spirits of the West'' (2001)
-* ''Heart of Gold'' (2001)
-* ''Passion'' (1999)
 * ''Enter the Heart'' (1998)
-* ''Flamenco Y Rosas'' (1995)
+* ''Heart of Gold'' (1999)
-* ''Songs From My Heart'' (1995)
+* ''All My Love'' (2000)
+* ''At Home With Esteban'' (2000) 2-CD set
+* ''Esteban Live!'' (2001) 2-CD set
+* ''Flame, Flamenco & Romance, Vol. 1'' (2001) 2-CD set
+* ''Esteban By Request'' (2001) 4-CD set
+* ''Holiday Trilogy'' (2001) 3-CD set includes ''A Classic Christmas'', ''A Traditional Christmas'', and ''A 21st Century Christmas''
+* ''Joy To The World'' (2001)
+* ''Happy Holidays, With Love'' (2002) 2-CD set
+* ''Flame, Flamenco & Romance, Vol. 2'' (2002) 2-CD set
+* ''Walk Beside Me: The Greatest Inspirational Songs Of All Time'' (2002) 2-CD set
+* ''Eternal Love'' (2002) 2-CD set
+* ''Celebrate the Memories'' (2002)
+* ''Back 2 Back'' (2003) 2-CD set
+* ''Magic Moments'' (2003)
+* ''Live in Sedona'' (2003) 2-CD set
+* ''Happy Holidays, With Love (Esteban's Favorite Holiday Treasures)'' (2003)
+* ''Favorite Holiday Memories'' (2003)
+* ''Classic Holiday Memories'' (2003)
+* ''Father/Daughter'' (2004) 2-CD set
+* ''The New Flamenco Y Rosas'' (2006)
+* ''Best of Esteban'' (2006)
+* ''Wear the Black (A Tribute to Johnny Cash)'' (2011) 2-CD set
+==See also==
+*[[New Flamenco]]
+*[[Flamenco rumba]]
 ==References==
 {{reflist}}
-==Further reading and external links ==
-* [http://www.estebanmusic.com/ Official Website]
-* [http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=&sql=11:am6zefikhgf3 Esteban], entry at [[Allmusic]].
-* [http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/orl-esteban2807jan01,0,5984621.story Even on aisle 9, Esteban rocks on], Jim Abbott, [[January 1]], [[2007]], ''Orlando Sentinel'',.
-* [http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2000-09-21/news/the-tao-of-esteban/ The Tao of Esteban], Gilbert Garcia, ''Phoenix New Times'', [[September 21]], [[2000]].
-* [http://musicthing.blogspot.com/2005/04/who-is-esteban-and-whats-up-with-his.html Who is Esteban? And what's up with his guitars?] at Music Thing
-* [http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07039/760156-55.stm South Hills Catholic reunion with Esteban], Al Lowe, ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', [[February 8]], [[2007]].
-* [http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data4/Esteban/ Product reviews of various models of Esteban Guitars] at [http://www.harmony-central.com/ Harmony central].
+==External links==
+* [http://www.estebanmusic.com/ Official website]
+* [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p2553|pure_url=yes}} Esteban], entry at [[Allmusic]].
+* [http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2000-09-21/news/the-tao-of-esteban/ The Tao of Esteban] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131217000057/http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2000-09-21/news/the-tao-of-esteban/ |date=December 17, 2013 }}, Gilbert Garcia, ''Phoenix New Times'', September 21, 2000.
+{{Authority control}}
+{{DEFAULTSORT:Esteban}}
 [[Category:1948 births]]
-[[Category:Musicians from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]]
+[[Category:American country singer-songwriters]]
-[[Category:Living people]]
-[[Category:American guitarists]]
 [[Category:Carnegie Mellon University alumni]]
+[[Category:Living people]]
 [[Category:People from Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania]]
+[[Category:People from Tempe, Arizona]]
+[[Category:Country musicians from Pennsylvania]]
+[[Category:Singer-songwriters from Pennsylvania]]
+[[Category:Guitarists from Pennsylvania]]
+[[Category:American male guitarists]]
+[[Category:20th-century American guitarists]]
+[[Category:Singer-songwriters from Arizona]]

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