Stephen Shears, a piano tuner who gained recognition for his ability to tune instruments by ear, has passed away at 70. Born in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, Shears grew up in Crewkerne, Somerset, where he developed an early passion for music by joining the church choir and learning cello and piano as a child.
Shears trained at Newark College in Nottinghamshire, where he completed a piano tuning and restoration course before establishing himself as a freelance technician. Throughout his career, he undertook work across the United Kingdom, traveling extensively to fulfill tuning requests in diverse settings ranging from mobile units to historic estates. He became particularly noted for his traditional tuning methods at a time when such skills were increasingly being supplemented by technological alternatives. In Bath, he operated a workshop with two colleagues—carpenter Roger Forsey and french polisher Philip Ireland—where the trio restored pianos, including instruments damaged by flooding.
Beyond his technical work, Shears maintained an active presence in the folk dancing music scene across Devon, Somerset, and Gloucestershire, beginning in the 1970s as keyboardist and occasional bass player for his ensemble Jigs for Gigs. He also performed as part of a musical duo with his sister Alison. Additionally, a grand piano he restored was featured in Bryan Adams’ music video for the song Everything I Do.
Shears is survived by his wife, Kellie Simpson, whom he married in 2000, along with two children from a previous marriage to Julia Pitchford, a stepdaughter, six grandchildren, and two siblings.
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