Larry Arnold Stevens 1963 -

Born Jan. 3, 1963 in Springfield, Illinois to David Latham Stevens and Carol Beatrice Arnold

Married Melinda Jo Conlee Aug. 2, 1997 at Springfield.
Children:

Lillian Conlee Stevens

Hello, this is my genealogy blog. That's my self-portrait taken in February, 2002.

I'm a native of Springfield, Illinois and have remained here all my life. I studied the cello starting at age 10 and made music my vocation as a young man. I was a member of the Decatur-Millikin Civic Symphony for 16 years, sharing the stage with such music legends as Benny Goodman, Mel Torme, Pearl Bailey, William Warfield, Doc Sevrensen and many others. I've played bass guitar for our local Elvis impersonator and accompanied Nick Lindsay on cello at a recital given in the Old State Capitol Building. I sing and play guitar and have a catalog of unreleased songs and never-performed chamber music. I perform Vachel Lindsay poems at any opportunity, and have recited before the Vachel Lindsay Association at the Governor's Mansion in Springfield. I was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Vachel Lindsay Association in 2002 and became Recording Secretary of the board in 2004.

From 1992 until about 2001, I was lead singer of The Spoonbenders, a pop/rock band. We spent many years producing an album and seeking a recording contract, but eventually disbanded. We mostly played small clubs in Chicago and St. Louis, such as Shuba's and the Lounge Axe. The album, tentatively titled "Happy Hollow", was finished but never released.

In 1993, I was the subject of a feature article in The State Journal-Register in which I was described as a "funky Renaissance man."

In 1994, I joined AIG/New Hampshire Insurance Services working in commercial property and casualty underwriting, especially commercial assigned risk auto insurance. I became a registered representative in 1999. In 2003, the AIG/NHIS office in Springfield closed and I joined AIG/American General working in the administration of Variable Universal Life and Universal Life policies.

In 1997, I married Melinda Jo Conlee of Cantrall, Illinois and we set up house in Springfield. Our daughter, Lillian, was born in 2000.