Growing up in the South, the son of a small grocery store owner, Stephen Douglas Hedrick spent his youngest days listening to stories as told by the multitude of characters that visited the store each day. Here, long conversation and storytelling was an art form, practiced aplenty and expected of everyone. He later found new ways of storytelling when he became an actor. William Shakespeare, Neil Simon and Tennessee Williams told humorous and heartrending tales that could extract tears of laughter and woe from audiences. He began writing and using some of this life experience when he worked for the Walt Disney Company as a producer. After 20 years with Disney, writing everything from creative treatments, scripts, and song lyrics, he left the company and began writing about the South. After spending time as executive director of a symphony orchestra in the deep South, Stephen Hedrick returned to Southern California with his trophy wife of 32 years, Diane.

Recipient of the Themed Entertainment THEA Award for creative excellence. Winner of Disney’s Dream Spinner and Mouse that Roared Awards, Arts and Culture Commission Exemplary Achievement, California Legislative Assembly Character and Ethics Award.