Stephen John Hunter, sometimes called "The Deacon", born June 14, 1948, is an
American guitarist best known for his collaborations with
Lou Reed and
Alice Cooper. He first played with
Mitch Ryder's
Detroit, beginning a long association with record producer
Bob Ezrin who has said Steve Hunter has contributed so much to rock music in general that he truly deserves the designation of "Guitar Hero". Steve Hunter has played some of the greatest riffs in rock history - that first slamming solo that rings in Aerosmith's Train Kept A Rollin', the acoustic intro on Peter Gabriel's Solsbury Hill, and he wrote the legendary intro interlude that made Lou Reed's live version of Sweet Jane a first gold record (the Rock 'N' Roll Animal live set).