Steve Hackett

Steve Hackett was born to an Iowa farm family in 1950. His parents soon realized the mistake and packed him off to England. There, alone on the streets of East Hoathly, Steve saw that you needed to be tough to survive. He decided that the best thing to do would be to become a rock guitarist. The problem was, he had no real ability. 'I was all thumbs,' Stephen asserts coolly from behind his red smoked glasses. 'At school, other students had to carry my books for me, because I could never hold them for more than thirty seconds at a stretch. I think it was that most of all that made the other kids want to really beat the crap out of me,' Stephen reflects. His ambition was clear to him, and the way to its fruition seemed a long and tortuous one. Instead of taking this path, Stephen opted for the easy way: 'I sold my soul to the Devil,' he admits. 'It's easier than you might think. And from then on, the guitar was easy. Carrying books wasn't such a chore either.' The Devil was not available for comment, but many of Stephen's friends say they have seen he and Satan laughing with each other. 'They still keep in touch,' says Mike Rutherford. 'I think once a month he pays a call to Iowa, to check on his folks, and then he rings up Satan. He's a dedicated, loyal man.'

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