Six time World Champion, the man who defined the 1980s boom, and snooker's most unexpected DJ
SnookerSteve Davis did two things better than anyone else. First he became, for most of the 1980s, the best snooker player on the planet. Then he very deliberately became interesting.
He won the World Championship six times, in 1981, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988 and 1989, and was the dominant force in a sport that at its peak drew audiences of 18 million for a single frame. The 1985 final against Dennis Taylor, which he lost on the final black at around midnight, remains the most watched sporting moment in British television after midnight and one of the defining memories of the snooker boom. He was snooker's first millionaire and held the world number one ranking for seven consecutive seasons.
He retired from professional play in 2016 after almost 40 years on the tour, by which time his nickname had gently shifted from Steve 'Interesting' Davis, originally meant ironically, to Steve 'genuinely very interesting' Davis. He is a vinyl obsessive, a BBC snooker commentator, a poker player, and a progressive rock DJ who has performed sets at Glastonbury. Few champions have reinvented themselves with such curiosity.
He was awarded an MBE in 1988 and an OBE in 2001 for services to snooker, and remains one of the great ambassadors for the sport on television and at live events.
At Steam, he is the speaker whose stories range from the Crucible to the Pyramid Stage and somehow make both sound connected.
Two decades of world class speakers in the basement at EC3. Want to book Steve Davis or someone like them? Tell us what you need and we will come back with a plan.
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