Paul Levine started his journey way back in Chicago in 1978.  In those days, Paul hadn't yet developed much of a voice so he decided to learn to play the guitar just to be able to sing songs.  Still not sounding like much, he started writing his own songs since they would sound better than other, already known songs.  And that was where his professional success blossomed.  In short order, his voice developed, his guitar playing became good but his songwriting shined!  By 1980, Paul was already regularly touring colleges and universities across America on a regular basis.  Although his roots are firmly imbedded in the Chicago folk scene of the 1970's and 1980's, Paul seldom actually played in Chicago!  As the saying goes, "he was a traveling man"!  As the years went by, he settled down to marriage and family life and was only occasionally seen at festivals or clubs in the Midwest.   But in 1994, Paul formed "Cactus Juice", one of the premier duos of the 1990's, with the wonderful Gayle Starr.  By 1996, after being frequently featured on The Midnight Special and playing to standing room only crowds, they were signed nationally and were ready to hit the road in a big way when Gayle decided it was her turn to settle down to a life of marriage and children.  Paul headed out to California for a couple of years and played the festival circuit on that side of the country!  But Chicago was home and soon he was back in the Windy City.  As the years rolled by, Paul slowly faded from regular performance and could only be scene at rare summer festivals.  Eventually, live performance ceased all together, but Paul still loved to write and record so he took to recording CD's for friends and family as a way to continue to share both older and newer music.  In recent years, Paul has teamed up with Steve Farrell and together they have created great music that blends together like magic!  There's even talk of adding live performance to the deal, so keep an eye out and you might get to actually see them live!  But for now, we hope you continue to enjoy the music here.

About Iain Walsh