Career
Doug Stegmeyer met Russell Javors in high school. At age 15, Javors was performing songs with childhood friend Liberty DeVitto. From then, the boys, along with Howard Emerson, formed the band Topper.
Together they performed the songs that Javors wrote.
Topper soon became noticed by Billy Joel. Soon, Joel found he needed a bassist on his Streetlife Serenade tour.
Stegmeyer was the first musician that Billy took from Topper. At Stegmeyer"s recommendation a year and a half later, Emerson, Javors, and DeVitto joined Joel in the studio for his Turnstiles album and for the accompanying tour.
Throughout his tenure with Joel, Stegmeyer was dubbed "The Sergeant Of The Billy Joel Band." Stegmeyer also performed as bassist for Debbie Gibson and Hall & Oates.
After being released from Joel"s band in 1989 (along with Javors), Stegmeyer maintained a busy schedule recording and producing. On August 25, 1995, Stegmeyer died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his Long Island home.