Famous Waseca Steve McLoone dies after lengthy, distinguished career

Steve McLoone, 72, one of Waseca’s best-known musicians, died Feb. 14 in the Twin Cities area. Raised in Waseca as the youngest of eight children in a family of musicians, McLoone was a member of the final graduating class of Sacred Heart High School in 1971. McLoone sang with a band for the first time at age 11 and went on to become nationally known for his musical performances and for writing and co-writing songs for the piano and guitar. 

 

McLoone held a celebration at Waseca’s Club ‘57 in December of 2024 to commemorate 60 years in the music business; he was joined by fellow guitarist Tom Williams and, for a few songs, by long-time friend and collaborator Jim Kozan. Asked at the time how he selected Waseca for his celebration over a more famous venue, McLoone replied “Because it’s always been Waseca for me. This is where I’m from, this is where my best friends are, this is home.” 

 

Pioneer reporter Ben Revermann shared in an article at the time that McLoone earned a bachelor degree in Wellness, then went on to earn a Master’s in Business Administration in healthcare from the University of St. Mary’s in Winona. 

 

While he did do some work in the health care field, including serving as a weight loss coach, the majority of McLoone’s time was devoted to music. The many bands he performed with included Sands of Tyme, 1966-’69; Cletus Hane, 1969-’71; Headstone,’71- ’74; Phoenix, ‘74; Zero Ted, ‘75-’77; The Judd Group, ‘76-’79; and Caribou, ‘79-’81. From then on, McLoone produced and recorded under his own name. 

 

Across his career, he worked with and met many famous musicians and bands including, in no particular order, the Carpenters, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Stevie Nicks, Tom Petty, Bette Midler, Paul Simon, Walter Egan, Journey, the Beach Boys, and many others.

 

Every person in Minnesota who lived through the eighties and nineties knows the Twins song, “We’re going to win Twins, we’re going to score.” McLoone helped write and perform the song; he can be heard and recognized on the original track. 

 

During his 2024 interview, McLoone said the project he took the most pride in was working with Solomon Witherspoon on the song “Starlight” which can be found on Youtube. In that song, children from Sacred Heart School are heard in the background. The project was to help during the tragedy of Sandy Hook, “That’s what I’m most proud of,” he declared. Another philanthropic endeavor for him was helping sponsor an orphanage in Africa called Ultimamission.