Steele Family Singers

The Steeles are a family group of brothers and sisters that consist of J.D., Fred, Jearlyn, Jevetta, and Billy Steele. They have been singing together since they were young children growing up in Gary, IN. They began to develop their style and soul in Minneapolis, MN. In the 80's with Prince and Jam and Lewis and Soul Asylum as the music scene began to develop in the city. The Steeles have earned every award that the music community has offered in the state of Minnesota in the past 20 years. The Steeles have recorded and performed with Prince, Donald Fagen, Morgan Freeman, George Clinton, Kim Carnes, Blind Boys, James Cleveland, Mahalia Jackson and many others throughout there long and storied career. The family has traveled around the world in the musical "The Gospel At Colonus'" including a Broadway run at the Lunt Fontanne theatre in 1988. Their recent accomplishments include projects with corporate clients including Target, Best Buy, and Slumberland. They have been featured on national commercials as well as local spots and enjoy an international profile that has earned them a worldwide audience.

The Steeles have just performed their 20th holiday show at the Ordway Performing Arts Center in downtown St Paul MN. The Steeles have performed their melodic sounds around me world including Carnegie Hall, Paris, London, Barcelona, Italy, South America, Moscow, and all around the US.

The Steeles have also contributed music to several film soundtracks, including the documentary Hoopdreams, Graffiti Bridge, and Corrina. Corrina. The Steeles continue to perform in worldclass productions around the globe. They recently released a new holiday CD entitled "a Christmas Celebration".

J.D., the eldest sibling, was recently awarded a Bush Artist Composer Fellowship. In 2005, he ventured to Nairobi Kenya and developed a youth choir in one of the largest slums in Africa called Shangilia Youth Ensemble. His three workshops there enabled the choir to make its recent debut at the Zanzibar Film Festival in Tanzania. He has been commissioned on six original musicals including the collaboration with his sister Jevetta on Two Queens, 0ne Castle and the upcoming Snapshots; Life In The City at the great American History Theatre in March of 2006. He also toured Germany and France this past summer and fall with the musical production of Bagdad Cafe The Musical. He also recently reprised his role in The Gospel At Colonus at the Apollo Theatre in New York and will tour the show in Vienna and Greece in summer of 2006.

Fred has been in constant demand for corporate shows throughout the US. His voice can be heard on countless voiceovers and vocal advertisements. His Inspirational Gospel CDs for Compass and Lifescapes is still a top selling series around the US. He is a noted composer, arranger, and producer. His acting and singing in the musical production Mahalia" has taken him on tour around the US.

Jearlyn, whose phenomenal performances in Mahalia also brought her critical acclaim, recently released her solo CD "Steele Praising Him" A beautifully crafted album, this collections feature Jearlyn's angelic voice on a compilation of traditional gospel hymns. Jearlyn is also featured in the upcoming movie release of Garrison Kiellor's "A Prairie Home Companion". Jearlyn is often a featured guest on the program. In addition to being in demand as a motivational speaker, she is host of her own top rated radio show "Steele Talking" on WCCO in Minneapolis which is heard in 32 US states.

Jevetta is an academy award nominee for her performance on the soundtrack theme " I'm Calling You" from the movie "Bagded Cafe" She has recently been starring in the musical production of the show in Spain, France and Germany. Jevetta also starred in her Semi-Autobiographical musical "Two Queens, 0ne Castle" at Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis. The show was also a recent hit in Atlanta Georgia at the Horizon. It will premiere in Washington DC in January 2006 with potential performances in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. Jevettas upcoming release in January other highly anticipated jazz compilation entitled "My Heart", will be ushered in with a CD release concert at the Dakota Jazz Club in Mpls. in January and a showcase at Joes Pub in New York city in February. Jevetta has also performed in "the Bussy Holly Story" at the Ordway Center in St Paul, MN and as a featured soloist with the New Jersey Symphony.

The youngest, Billy performs, writes, and produces for the Grammy Award winning ensemble "Sounds Of Blackness" He is the co-recipient of three Grammies via this talented ensemble. He continues to write and produce for various artists including the Steeles. His voice has been heard on soundtracks with artists such as Rod Stewart, Luther Vandross, and many more. He recently collaborated on the Disney soundtrack "Legends, The John Henry Story" narrated by James Earl Jones.

The Steeles have collectively released seven CDs. There national and international audience continues to grow.