I thought I would make today’s entry about some of my encounters with Steve “H” Hogarth from Marillion, with Saturday being his 70th birthday. It’s funny, because this year will also mark 10 years since I first became a Marillion fan! Counting Cruise to the Edge, I have been fortunate to watch Marillion perform 8 times, since I attended both colored laminate shows on Cruise to the Edge 2022, 2024, and 2026. I regrettably have not been to a full-length Marillion show since 2018, but am hoping I can make it out to one of the Marillion Weekends scheduled for next year.
I met H for the first time on Cruise to the Edge 2022. The day it happened, I had humiliated myself pretty badly at the Marillion Q&A earlier that day and was feeling crappy about it. I lunched with my friends in The Empty Pockets, and then decided to wander around and see what I could do next. Then, to my shock, hidden inside a circle of security guards, there was H, walking in the opposite direction. I curious and decided to follow a few paces behind to see where he may be going. This led me into a bar where Eddie Trunk was hosting an episode of his Trunk Nation podcast with Mike Portnoy. The place was pretty busy, so I had to stand well off to the side while H joined the conversation for a little bit, as he was heading off to do soundcheck shortly thereafter. The interview got done, and instead of ducking out of there immediately, H hung around, beer in hand, chatting with people. I decided it was now or never, as I knew I would regret it if I didn’t at least try to approach him. A few people were conversing with him, and I had made it a rule to not approach artists unless they see me first. When he finally did, words failed me, so I did the same thing I did when I approached Greg Lake: I held out my arms for a hug. H pulled me in tightly for the most loving and sincere hug I’ve ever received from any famous person I’ve met. It’s been 4 years so I only remember bits and pieces of our conversation, but I know it started with me, being the way I am, saying I was sorry for being so incoherent with my question. Of course, I should have known that that was all water under the bridge as far as he was concerned. I know I mentioned the time I had Al Stewart sign some records for the band, which I gifted to Steve Rothery in 2018, something that, to this day, I haven’t done for any other artist/band. We did exchange one more amazing hug before he had to be on his way. I have no photos from that encounter, except for this one, which I took just after H sat down to chat with Eddie Trunk. H is on the left in the black jacket:
I tend to not like the way I look in photos, so I never ask for them. I’m honestly happy enough just having a few minutes to chat normally with someone I admire. No photo or autograph needed. I did not cross paths with him personally on the 2024 cruise, but did after his ProgStock performance last October. I’m not sure he remembered who I was, but I certainly don’t hold that against him, since he meets tons of people every year, and it had been a few years since we last met. I included my photos from that night in my blog post about ProgStock but will include them again here as well:
I did cross paths with him a couple of times on this year’s Cruise to the Edge, and he’s just as gracious and as masterful a hugger as he was before. I’m happy that he’s continuing to excel as a performer and as a person, and I’m hoping for many more birthdays to come for him!
Happy birthday, H!
The Girl in the Scarf 
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