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William Stevens Meredith is a native of Lake Worth, Florida, and his first official writing assignments were for The Kaleidoscope at Twin Lakes High School (now Dreyfoos School for the Performing Arts) in West Palm Beach. After attending Palm Beach Junior (later Community and now State) College (where he served as editor-in-chief for The Beachcomber) and the University of Florida, Meredith started simultaneous careers in journalism and music in the 1980s.

Yet music provided more opportunities throughout the decade, starting with the group Out For Kicks (with his younger brother Ted Meredith as soundman). As drummer/vocalist for rhythm-and-blues band Brookes Bros., Meredith opened for national touring acts like The Outlaws and Firefall before moving to Montreal and working with the successful Canadian band Big City (getting replaced by April Wine's drummer, Jerry Mercer, in 1988). Management for New Jersey-based electronics company The Wiz followed, after which Meredith relocated to South Florida in 1989 and resumed writing.

During the 1990s, both careers intertwined as Meredith performed with the bands Lite-N-Up, Jasplazma, Blatant Disregard (see Quick Links, referred to below as QL, in right-hand column) and Numb (opening for drummer Jason Bonham's self-titled band) while writing for Modern Drummer (QL), AllMusic.com (QL), iCE, City Link, Red Herring and Free Press magazines. In 1998, he joined renowned South Florida original act InHouse (opening for Ani DiFranco, Sarah McLachlan, Queen Latifah and Bonnie Raitt); in 1999, Meredith toured the North American Collegiate Association (NACA) circuit as a percussionist/vocalist with singer/songwriter Fran Snyder (QL), with whom he opened for Don Henley, Edwin McCain, and Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland. Snyder now runs ConcertsInYourHome.com (QL).

Meredith started a still-standing association with the international jazz monthly JAZZIZ (QL) in 2000, working as an assistant editor from 2004 to 2006. He continues to write CD reviews for the magazine. In 2001, he was hired for the bi-weekly "Local Music" column in the Palm Beach Post (QL), which ran through 2015. He’s also been drummer for Big Brass Bed (QL), a Bob Dylan tribute band led by former Greenwich Village folk star Rod MacDonald (QL), since 2002, appearing on the group’s A Few Dylan Songs, Dylan Jam + 2 and Big Tent CDs. Some of his other recording credits include releases by MacDonald, Jason Colannino (QL), Friction Farm (QL), Black Finger (QL), Andy Stein (QL), Jasplazma, and NetheresQue; other publications include Heat Beat, Closer (QL), and the West Palm Tribune.

In 2006, Meredith opened for B.B. King during a tour with blues band The Hellhounds. Also in the mid-2000s, Meredith became a key feature story and reviews contributor to Maryland-based jazz magazine JazzTimes (QL); started writing sports for the Palm Beach Post, and music for the Palm Beach Arts Paper (QL), an online blog and monthly print publication.

Since 2007, Meredith has recorded the CDs Black Finger Forever and Where's My Parade with Black Finger, filmed music videos for the songs "Hold On" and "Sugar" (viewable on the band's website), and toured to Orlando, Fort Myers and the Florida Keys. The band also backed Spin Doctors' vocalist/guitarist Chris Barron during a show of that band's music at a South Florida nightclub in 2008. Also in 2008, Meredith started playing with Deerfield Beach-based band The Funky Blu Roots (QL), appearing on the group's 2009 live and 2011 studio CDs.

Newer writing endeavors include writing CD reviews for North Carloina-based fusion recording label Abstract Logix (QL), features for the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County's Art & Culture magazine (QL), and features for Florida Weekly magazine (QL) starting in 2016; recent musical pursuits include reuniting with fellow former InHouse members in the 2012 pop/rock band 900 Seconds (QL), joining forces with roots-rocker Monty Warren and the Friggin' Whatevers (QL), and starting on the ground floor of a new 2013 funk act called Sub Groove (QL), which released its all-original, self-titled debut CD and opened for international touring artist Freekbass in 2015. Sub Groove's sophomore release, Shades Off, was released in early 2018. In 2016, Meredith joined forces with roots-rockers The Cravens (QL), who released their debut CD On the Line in 2018, the sophomore effort The Dark Side of Love in 2019, 'Cravenology' in 2021, and 'Live From the Funky Biscuit' in 2022.

In 2013, Meredith also broke into radio with a series of podcasts for the South Florida-based Arts Radio Network. "The Groove Line," a monthly interview segment spotlighting prominent area musical figures in all genres and occupations, ran from February into the summer.

 

In 2020, Meredith broke into public relations via work for a new guitar and bass pick company. Connecticut-based Acoustik Attak (QL) and its Attak Piks feature unique, scientific designs including raised ridges, nodules and other patterns, differentiating them from standard flat picks. In 2022, he started writing news, sports and entertainment stories for the South Florida online publication Palms West Journal (QL). And in 2023, he recorded drums and percussion for the debut 'Rise Again' release by rootsy pop-rock band the Smokeboss Militia (QL).

Meredith, a member of the Author's Guild in New York City, resides in Lake Park, Florida. His stepdaughter, Kelly Williams, is a talented area visual artist living in Miami; his stepson Conor Williams is also a gifted visual artist living in Queens, NY.

His ex-wife, Ginny Meredith, is a talented violinist and singer, plus the former Executive Director of Inspirit (QL), a South Florida-based nonprofit that takes musicians to perform for people in restricted environments like hospitals, pediatric wards, rehabilitation centers, shelters and retirement homes.