The Fontaine Tour
FONTAINE IS IN... AND BACK OUT AGAIN!
Stephen Fontaine, after serving as lead vocalist for Uriah Heep during a U.S. tour was sacked by the band. Known as "Steff" during his time in Heep, Mick Box had this to say about Stephen, "I
couldn't believe anyone could be so unprofessional. He had a great voice but his discipline was something else.
He'd go for a walk during rehearsals and then get lost. He even missed a gig in San Francisco once!"
FONTAINE SPEAKS!
Stephen Fontaine explained what happened in a recent
interview with Kevin Julie. "Basically what happened was one time in San Francisco,
I left without, basically, the tour dates. The log
said that we were playing in San Diego, and I should've asked
the tour manager, but I went to San Diego, and
the log was incorrect." Fontaine didn't learn of the change until he arrived at the Balkan Ballroom
in San Diego. Although the band tried to get him a flight,
it was too late. In Stephen's view, "...they were
so pissed off at me for missing that date that the tour for the rest of the way never went; that was
irreparable."
The remainder of Fontaine's tenure with Heep
was colorful as well, including Stephen's fist fight with
the Heep bus driver and occasionally the rest of band drinking him under the table.
"I made the mistake a few times of trying to drink with them,
and being American I just can't handle my liquor like those
guys..." As he told Julie, "...every time I drank the hard stuff with those guys,
I blacked out."