# Stephen Yerkey

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Stephen_Yerkey
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Stephen_Yerkey.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Yerkey
> Source revision: 1319190058
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

American singer-songwriter

Stephen Yerkey Yerkey in 2016 Background information Born Stephen McKay Yerkey[1] (1950-12-15) December 15, 1950 (age 75) West Virginia, U.S. Origin San Francisco, CA, U.S. Genres Americana music Occupation Musician Instrument Guitar Website stephenyerkey.com

Musical artist

**Stephen McKay Yerkey** (born December 15, 1950) is a singer-songwriter and performer of soulful Americana and rock currently living in northern California, playing solo and with his band, Two Car Funeral, around San Francisco and Sacramento; he developed a following while based in the Bay Area during the early part of his career.

## Early life

Yerkey was born in [Welch, West Virginia](/source/Welch%2C_West_Virginia) and grew up in, among other places, [St. Louis, Missouri](/source/St._Louis%2C_Missouri), [Covington, Kentucky](/source/Covington%2C_Kentucky), and [Detroit, Michigan](/source/Detroit).[2][3] He began playing guitar at the age of 14, at which time he discovered [Bob Dylan](/source/Bob_Dylan) and the [Rolling Stones](/source/Rolling_Stones), and started developing his own unique style.[4]

## Career

Yerkey was the frontman of the band Nonfiction, 1977-1987, and again during their reunion, 2016-2018. Nonfiction released one eponymous album on [Demon Records](/source/Demon_Records).[2] In 1990, he contributed the song "The Final Word" to *Acoustic Music Project*, an AIDS benefit album on [Alias Records](/source/Alias_Records).[5] His solo debut album, *Confidence, Man*, was released in 1995 on [Heyday Records](/source/Heyday_Records) and was produced by, among others, [Pere Ubu](/source/Pere_Ubu)'s [Eric Drew Feldman](/source/Eric_Drew_Feldman).[2] Yerkey's recording of the Ted Hawkins song "Stay Close to Me" from *Confidence, Man* was featured in the soundtrack of the 1997 movie "Lewis & Clark & George." His next album, *Up From Mo's*, was independently released in 2003. His most recent album, *Metaneonatureboy* was released in 2006 on [Echo Records](/source/Echo_Records) and, like *Confidence Man*, was produced by Eric Drew Feldman.[3][6] *Metaneonatureboy* included the song "Translated from Love", which [Kelly Willis](/source/Kelly_Willis) later covered on her album of the same name.[7] In 2016, with Yerkey again at the helm, Nonfiction reunited for a single performance at the [Hotel Utah](/source/Hotel_Utah_(San_Francisco%2C_California)) in San Francisco.[8]

## Reception

*Confidence, Man* has been described as "...a lost classic waiting to be rediscovered by fans of [Richard Buckner](/source/Richard_Buckner_(musician)) and [Townes Van Zandt](/source/Townes_Van_Zandt)."[9] Other critics have praised the album's tracks "Cocksucking Blonde" and "Maker's Mark,"[9][10][11] and have written that its music depicts the gritty aspect of life in San Francisco.[12][13] Yerkey has also been called the "[Elvis Costello](/source/Elvis_Costello) of country."[13] A review in the *[San Francisco Chronicle](/source/San_Francisco_Chronicle)* described his music as "barroom laments, howled prayers and fiery indictments that burned with the intensity of a real person with real soul."[14]

*Up From Mo's* is described on at least one website as "Solo voice, acoustic guitar and harmonica, fusing country, jazz, folk and blues, rich storytelling and the eccentric West-Virginia-born baritone singing tales of railroad workers, robber barons, short pants, love, despair, Algiers and lighthouse keeping."[15]

## Discography

### Solo

- *Confidence Man* (Heyday, 1994)

- *Up From Mo's* (Self-released, 2003)

- *Metaneonatureboy* (Echo, 2006)

### With Nonfiction

- *Nonfiction* (Demon, 1986)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["ALICE MCALLISTER"](https://www.ascap.com/repertory#/ace/search/workID/900952593). *ASCAP*. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved March 13, 2023.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-os_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-os_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-os_2-2) Gettelman, Parry (9 June 1995). ["Stephen Yerkey"](https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1995/06/09/stephen-yerkey/). *[Orlando Sentinel](/source/Orlando_Sentinel)*. Retrieved 22 May 2014.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-neumu_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-neumu_3-1) Kelly, Jennifer (13 April 2006). ["Stephen Yerkey's Wandering Songs"](http://www.neumu.net/datastream/2006/2006-00010/2006-00010_datastream.shtml). *[Neumu](/source/Neumu)*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-nzz_4-0)** Kunzler, Hans Peter (9 October 2006). ["Ein Genie, lebenslang auf Jobsuche"](https://www.nzz.ch/aktuell/startseite/articleEDVZJ-1.59320) [A genius, live long on job search]. *[Neue Zürcher Zeitung](/source/Neue_Z%C3%BCrcher_Zeitung)* (in German). Retrieved 4 October 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Indies"](https://books.google.com/books?id=RDWxkmx1bj4C&dq=%22Stephen+Yerkey%22&pg=PA111). *[Spin](/source/Spin_(magazine))*. December 1990. p. 111. Retrieved 26 May 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Metaneonatureboy Releases"](https://www.allmusic.com/album/metaneonatureboy-mw0000704005/releases). *Allmusic*. Retrieved 22 May 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Tucker, Ken (17 July 2007). ["Kelly Willis, Working in Translation"](https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12033066). *[NPR](/source/NPR)*. Retrieved 22 May 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Nonfiction, Tom Heyman, Waldo Mack"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170206023514/https://www.hotelutah.com/event/1261059-nonfiction-tom-heyman-waldo-san-francisco/). *Hotel Utah*. 17 September 2016. Archived from [the original](http://www.hotelutah.com/event/1261059-nonfiction-tom-heyman-waldo-san-francisco/) on 6 February 2017.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-cornell_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-cornell_9-1) Cornell, Rick (21 June 2006). ["Otis Gibbs and Stephen Yerkey"](http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/otis-gibbs-and-stephen-yerkey/Content?oid=1197946). *[Indy Week](/source/Indy_Week)*. Retrieved 22 May 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Cromelin, Richard (11 March 1995). ["Pop Music Reviews : He's Got All the Goods--Except One"](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-03-11-ca-41354-story.html). *[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)*. Retrieved 22 May 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Christgau, Robert. ["CG: Stephen Yerkey"](https://robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=stephen+yerkey). Retrieved 22 May 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Cook, Stephen. ["Confidence, Man"](https://www.allmusic.com/album/confidence-man-mw0000122917). *[Allmusic](/source/Allmusic)*. Retrieved 22 May 2014.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-iuma_13-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-iuma_13-1) ["Stephen Yerkey"](https://archive.org/details/iuma-yerkey_stephen). *[IUMA](/source/IUMA)*. Retrieved 22 May 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Lisick, Beth (17 March 2004). ["Amazing evenings with songwriter Stephen Yerkey and comic Doug Holsclaw, plus Hotel Utah news"](http://www.sfgate.com/music/article/Amazing-evenings-with-songwriter-Stephen-Yerkey-2780281.php). *San Francisco Chronicle*. Retrieved 22 May 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** ["Up from Mo's"](https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/stephenyerkey2). *[CDBaby](/source/CDBaby)*.

Authority control databases International VIAF WorldCat National United States Artists MusicBrainz

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Stephen Yerkey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Yerkey) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Yerkey?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.