Steve Forbert

Samuel Stephen “Steve” Forbert (born 13 December 1954 in Meridian, Mississippi) is an American singer-songwriter associated with folk rock and roots-influenced pop. He is best known for the late-1970s and early-1980s phase of his career, particularly the song “Romeo’s Tune”, which became his biggest charting single in the United States.

Forbert moved to New York City in the 1970s and built an early reputation in the city’s songwriter scene. His debut album Alive on Arrival (1978) was followed by Jackrabbit Slim (1979), establishing him as a commercially visible singer-songwriter at a time when American roots-rock and folk-pop were prominent in mainstream music. 

His peak chart success came with “Romeo’s Tune”, released in 1979, which reached number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Across this period, his early albums charted on the Billboard 200, placing him within the broader cohort of late-1970s singer-songwriters who combined narrative songwriting with radio-friendly arrangements. 

From the 1980s onwards, Forbert continued releasing albums and touring, maintaining a steady output even as mainstream chart attention declined. In the 2000s, his work included the album Any Old Time, a project that returned him to roots material and attracted renewed critical and industry attention.

Forbert received a Grammy nomination for Any Old Time in the category of Best Traditional Folk Album, reflecting recognition beyond his best-known chart years. His legacy is tied to a durable songwriting catalogue and the enduring recognition of “Romeo’s Tune” as a late-1970s American pop-rock standard.