Looking back, he says, “I never really booked shows as moneymakers. Sometimes we’d cross over to a new audience, just ’cause it was good music. I was serious about that.”
STEVE McCLELLAN WINS THE CONNIE HECHTER AWARD
At the Minnesota Music Awards of 1996, held on July 11, appropriately enough at First Avenue, Steve was honored with the Connie Hechter Award, which recognized the contributions of a non-musician. Jon Bream wrote:
In his 23 years at First Avenue, McClellan probably has worked with at least 40 of the acts that earned [Minnesota Music Awards] in 48 categories this year. Working 12-hour days and weekends, he oversees booking and marketing. He received the most prolonged applause of the long night.
Jack Meyers, First Avenue’s CFO, introduced McClellan and saluted him for his “integrity, commitment and stubbornness” and for “putting Minnesota and First Avenue on the map as the place where music comes first.”
… “In April 1993, the Twin Cities Reader published a cover story calling him “the crabbiest man in Minneapolis.” More important, McClellan, 46, has been a tireless promoter of all kinds of music from worldbeat to disco to alternative-rock.
The Connie Hechter Award was chosen by the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Music Academy, which administers the Minnesota Music Awards. The other MMA winners were chosen by the 264 members of the Academy.
STEVE McCLELLAN DAY
The community showed its support for Steve on March 22, 2015, his 60th birthday, when the Mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul concurrently declared it “Steve McClellan Day.” (Star Tribune, March 22, 2015)
The proclamation read:
Whereas Stephen Thomas McClellan — born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota — attended De LaSalle High School and The University of Minnesota, took a temporary job as a part time bartender at Uncle Sam’s to earn money for his college tuition; and
Whereas, Stephen will be celebrating his 65th birthday and will be so honored by friends, family and others, Sunday, March 22, 2015 at one of the oldest Twin Cities watering holes; and
Whereas, he served on the boards of Minnesota Public Interest Research Group, Cedar Cultural Center Minnesota Music Academy, KFAI Radio Downtown Warehouse Association; and
Whereas, Stephen served as primary talent buyer, marketing director, general manager of First Avenue for over 30 years; and
Whereas, he broadened the Twin Cities music scene to an internationally recognized arena for music including groups like Africa’s King Sunny Ade; and
Whereas, Stephen has worked across multiple mediums of performance art, principally music; and
Whereas, Stephen has helped nurture and develop local music groups such as The Jayhawks, Husker Du, The Replacements, Suicide Commandos, The Suburbs, The Wallets, Prince, The Time, The Flamin’ Oh’s and out of town artists who were unheard of such as REM, U2, Nirvanna, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Greenday and many others, booking acts which he believed in;
and
Whereas, Stephen made First Avenue a household name internationally after Prince filmed “Purple Rain” at First Avenue; and
Whereas, he is a staff member of the Music Business Faculty at McNally Smith; and
Whereas, Stephen continues his imprint on musicians of all styles, creating his non-profit Diverse Emerging Music Organization (DEMO) to help aspiring musicians
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BETSY HODGES, Mayor of the City of Minneapolis, do hereby proclaim March 22, 2015 as:
STEPHEN MCCLELLAN DAY IN THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS
The party was held (where else?) at the Schooner.
