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In 2001, Steele signed to [[Monument Records]] as a recording artist. The same year, his debut album, ''Somethin' in the Water'', was released. Steele co-wrote all of the songs on his debut album, in addition to producing it.<ref name="allmusic"/> Its title cut (which was also recorded by [[River Road (band)|River Road]]) reached a peak of #33 on the [[Hot Country Singles & Tracks]] chart, becoming Steele's only Top 40 chart entry as a singer. He continued to write songs for other artists, including [[Trace Adkins]] ("I'm Tryin'"), [[Faith Hill]] ("When the Lights Go Down"), [[Tim McGraw]] ("The Cowboy in Me"), and [[Montgomery Gentry]] ("My Town").<ref name="allmusic"/> In addition, [[Rascal Flatts]] reached Number One on the country charts in late 2002 with "These Days", their first Number One single. |
In 2001, Steele signed to [[Monument Records]] as a recording artist. The same year, his debut album, ''Somethin' in the Water'', was released. Steele co-wrote all of the songs on his debut album, in addition to producing it.<ref name="allmusic"/> Its title cut (which was also recorded by [[River Road (band)|River Road]]) reached a peak of #33 on the [[Hot Country Singles & Tracks]] chart, becoming Steele's only Top 40 chart entry as a singer. He continued to write songs for other artists, including [[Trace Adkins]] ("I'm Tryin'"), [[Faith Hill]] ("When the Lights Go Down"), [[Tim McGraw]] ("The Cowboy in Me"), and [[Montgomery Gentry]] ("My Town").<ref name="allmusic"/> In addition, [[Rascal Flatts]] reached Number One on the country charts in late 2002 with "These Days", their first Number One single. |
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Jeffrey continued to record and release solo albums as well, with ''Gold, Platinum, Chrome and Steele'' and ''You Gotta Start Somewhere'' both being released in 2003. 2004 saw the release of ''Outlaw'' on the [[Lofton Creek Records]] label.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/234206 |title=Jeffrey Steele Anticipates Arrival of "Outlaw" |accessdate=2007-07-21 |format=html |work=bmi.com}}</ref> Steele's success as a songwriter continued, with more than sixty of his songs charting as singles.<ref name="allmusic"> In 2005, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cmt.com/artists/news/1511639/20051017/steele_jeffrey.jhtml |title=Five Members Welcomed to Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame |accessdate=2007-07-21 |format=html |work=CMT.com}}</ref> |
Jeffrey continued to record and release solo albums as well, with ''Gold, Platinum, Chrome and Steele'' and ''You Gotta Start Somewhere'' both being released in 2003; the same year, Steele was named Songwriter of the Year by the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://songwriter101.com/articles/716_0_6_0_M/ |title=Jeffrey Steele, Jesse Harris, Butch Walker, & Pat Green: Songwriters on Songwriting |accessdate=2007-07-21 |format=html |work=Songwriter101.com}}</ref><ref name="find">{{cite web |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2005/10/17/daily2.html |title=Jeffrey Steele named Songwriter of the Year by NSAI |accessdate=2007-07-21 |format=html |work=FindArticles.com}}</ref> 2004 saw the release of ''Outlaw'' on the [[Lofton Creek Records]] label.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/234206 |title=Jeffrey Steele Anticipates Arrival of "Outlaw" |accessdate=2007-07-21 |format=html |work=bmi.com}}</ref> Steele's success as a songwriter continued, with more than sixty of his songs charting as singles.<ref name="allmusic"> In 2005, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, in addition to receiving a second Songwriter of the Year award from the NSAI.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cmt.com/artists/news/1511639/20051017/steele_jeffrey.jhtml |title=Five Members Welcomed to Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame |accessdate=2007-07-21 |format=html |work=CMT.com}}</ref><ref name="find"/> |
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His most successful single as a songwriter to date has been "[[What Hurts the Most]]", a Number One single on both the [[Hot Country Songs]] and [[Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks]] charts for [[Rascal Flatts]] in 2006. "What Hurts the Most" also earned Steele the Songwriter of the Year award from ''Music Row'' magazine.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/334991 |title="These Days", It’s Good To Be Jeffrey Steele |accessdate=2007-07-21 |format=html |work=BMI.com}}</ref> |
His most successful single as a songwriter to date has been "[[What Hurts the Most]]", a Number One single on both the [[Hot Country Songs]] and [[Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks]] charts for [[Rascal Flatts]] in 2006. "What Hurts the Most" also earned Steele the Songwriter of the Year award from ''Music Row'' magazine.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/334991 |title="These Days", It’s Good To Be Jeffrey Steele |accessdate=2007-07-21 |format=html |work=BMI.com}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 14:34, 21 July 2007
Jeffrey Steele |
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Jeffrey Steele (born Jeffrey LeVasseur in Burbank, California[2]) is an American country music singer-songwriter. Between 1990 and 1994, Steele was the lead singer and bass guitarist in the country music band Boy Howdy. Since then, he has found success both as a solo artist, and as a songwriter for other country music artists.
Biography
Jeffrey LeVasseur was born in Burbank, California to a musical family. His mother was a singer, and his father had aspirations to become a country music songwriter.[2] Steele first gained his own interest in music at age eight, when he sang Three Dog Night's "Joy to the World" at a church function. This renedition earned him a standing ovation, so he sang the song an additional seven times.[2][3] Steele later moved on to songwriting; by age seventeen, he was performing with local groups, and playing keyboards at various gigs on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles.[3] In 1987, LeVasseur's father passed away; he later assumed the surname Steele as a tribute to his father, who processesd steel for a living."Jeffrey Steele" (html). Nashville Underground. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
Boy Howdy
In 1990, he and other California musicians formed the band Boy Howdy, in which Steele assumed the role of lead singer and bass guitarist.[4] Boy Howdy was signed to Curb Records in 1992, recording two albums and an EP for that label.[4] While in Boy Howdy, Steele was named Best Bassist and Best Male Vocalist by the California Country Music Association.[3] In addition, Steele earned BMI awards for the band's two Top 10 singles ("She'd Give Anything" and "They Don't Make Them Like That Anymore"), both of which he co-wrote.[3]
Solo career
Boy Howdy disbanded in 1996; a year later, Steele moved to Nashville, Tennessee. Still signed to Curb Records, he released two unsuccessful solo singles. He also recorded a solo album for Curb, but it was never released.[3][1] Steele then found success as a songwriter, writing the Top 10 singles "If You Love Somebody" by Kevin Sharp (#4, 1998), "Unbelievable" by Diamond Rio (#2, 1999), and "Big Deal" by LeAnn Rimes (#6, 2000), all three of which earned him additional BMI awards.[3][1]
In 2001, Steele signed to Monument Records as a recording artist. The same year, his debut album, Somethin' in the Water, was released. Steele co-wrote all of the songs on his debut album, in addition to producing it.[3] Its title cut (which was also recorded by River Road) reached a peak of #33 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, becoming Steele's only Top 40 chart entry as a singer. He continued to write songs for other artists, including Trace Adkins ("I'm Tryin'"), Faith Hill ("When the Lights Go Down"), Tim McGraw ("The Cowboy in Me"), and Montgomery Gentry ("My Town").[3] In addition, Rascal Flatts reached Number One on the country charts in late 2002 with "These Days", their first Number One single.
Jeffrey continued to record and release solo albums as well, with Gold, Platinum, Chrome and Steele and You Gotta Start Somewhere both being released in 2003; the same year, Steele was named Songwriter of the Year by the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI).[5][6] 2004 saw the release of Outlaw on the Lofton Creek Records label.[7] Steele's success as a songwriter continued, with more than sixty of his songs charting as singles.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).[6]
His most successful single as a songwriter to date has been "What Hurts the Most", a Number One single on both the Hot Country Songs and Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks charts for Rascal Flatts in 2006. "What Hurts the Most" also earned Steele the Songwriter of the Year award from Music Row magazine.[8]
Also in 2006, Steele earned an additional BMI award for Steve Holy's Number One single "Brand New Girlfriend".[9] Steele has seen continued success as a songwriter, with acts such as Van Zant, Keith Anderson, and several other artists. His most recent studio album, Hell on Wheels, was released on 3 Ring Circus Records in 2006.
Discography
Albums
- 2001 Somethin' in the Water
- 2003 Gold, Platinum, Chrome, and Steele
- 2003 You Gotta Start Somewhere
- 2004 Outlaw
- 2006 Hell On Wheels
Singles
| Year | Song | US Country | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | "A Girl Like You" | 60 | |
| 2001 | "Somethin' in the Water" | 33 | Somethin' in the Water |
| 2002 | "I Can Give You Love Like That" | ||
| 2003 | "Good To Go" | 49 | |
| 2004 | "Good Year For The Outlaw" | 54 | Outlaw |
| 2005 | "Once a Cowboy" | ||
| "Twenty Years Ago" | |||
| "She Must Be So Happy" | |||
| 2006 | "Just the Way We Do It" |
References
- ^ a b c "Jeffrey Steele" (html). BMI.com. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
- ^ a b c "Jeffrey Steele: Biography" (html). CMT.com. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "allmusic (((Jeffrey Steele > Biography)))" (html). All Music Guide. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
- ^ a b "allmusic (((Boy Howdy > Biography)))" (html). All Music Guide. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
- ^ "Jeffrey Steele, Jesse Harris, Butch Walker, & Pat Green: Songwriters on Songwriting" (html). Songwriter101.com. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
- ^ a b "Jeffrey Steele named Songwriter of the Year by NSAI" (html). FindArticles.com. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
- ^ "Jeffrey Steele Anticipates Arrival of "Outlaw"" (html). bmi.com. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
- ^ ""These Days", It's Good To Be Jeffrey Steele" (html). BMI.com. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
- ^ "BMI Honors Writers of Steve Holy's Hit" (html). BMI.com. Retrieved 2007-07-21.