The Steeles

Known for their big, sweeping worship ballads and family-oriented sound, the Steeles are an Alabama-based Southern gospel group led by singer/pastor Jeff Steele. They first gained national attention in the '90s, releasing popular gospel radio songs like "I Must Tell Somebody" off 1993's Stirrin' It Up and "God Kept His Promise" off 1995's Southern Steele. Following a period away from touring, the Steeles returned to the spotlight with 2014's Without a Sound and 2018's Prodigals. Formed in Mississippi in the late '80s, the Steeles initially began as a trio featuring singer, songwriter, and pastor Jeff Steele, his wife, vocalist Sherry Steele, and vocalist David Owens. With this lineup, the Steeles began recording for Daywind with 1991's Heaven's City Limits album. Their career began to build momentum with 1993's Stirrin' It Up and its attendant hit single "I Must Tell Somebody," but it was 1995's Southern Steele that really established them as a presence on the Southern gospel circuit; "God Kept His Promise," "I Got Up and Went," and "Oh What a Mighty God" were all popular numbers, especially the first. Jeff Steele's reputation as a songwriter was growing steadily, as other artists began recording his compositions, leading to his being named BMI's Southern Gospel Songwriter of the Year in 1995 and 1996. The title track of the group's 1996 album We Want America Back became a sensation among the conservative faithful, garnering a handful of gospel award nominations, and spending weeks on top of the Southern gospel charts; no less a figure than James Dobson adopted it for his radio program Focus on the Family. It's by Love arrived in 1998 and further cemented the Steeles' status as one of the premier Southern gospel groups. They struck gold again with 2000's For the Sake of the Children, featuring the "family values"-oriented anthem. It was around this time that the Steeles began to include their children, Christy, Kayla, and Bradley, in their stage shows. Prior to their next album, the Steeles revamped their lineup for the first time, with Owens departing and Christy becoming an official member of the group at age 16. They also added two seasoned gospel singers with Troy Peach, formerly of the Wilburns, and Karen Akemon, formerly of the Perry Sisters and the Ruppes. This quintet version of the Steeles issued Left Behind in 2001, with the title track (inspired by the popular book series of the same name) becoming another gospel hit. More independent releases followed, including 2002's By Grace by Faith, and 2004's Standing Room Only. Around 2004, the Steeles pulled back from touring as Jeff Steele dedicated more of his time to pastoring at a non-denominational church in Cullman, Alabama. However, they remained active and in 2014 returned to the national scene with the album Without a Sound, featuring the gospel radio hit "But God." The CCM- and praise & worship-influenced Prodigals arrived in 2018 and found son Bradley rejoining as a full-time member. The title track also became the Singing News Song of the Year. In 2020, the Steeles released the Wayne Haun-produced A Song to Remind You.
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