John Steele
Vocalist/Guitarist
John was born on September 11, 1952 in McComb, Mississippi. John’s introduction to country and western swing music came through his maternal grandmother, an accomplished, self taught pianist and his uncle, a guitar and fiddle man, who played professionally prior to his service during the Second World War. John was also influenced by his cousin, Miss Tommy Easley who was the lead guitarist for the Louisiana Hayride house band for several seasons and a cousin, Sam Easley, a musician and a recording studio owner in Memphis Tennessee. John’s mother, Oneida, a natural singer, encouraged him to use his voice and taught him to sing harmony.
In 1967, the family moved west as John’s dad was transferred to Houston. By late 1969, at the age of seventeen John was already known and active in Houston area music circles and was asked to join an eight piece vocal band called the Future Faces. John became the featured baritone vocalist for the group and in the spring of 1970 the “Faces” hit the road full time and toured nationally for Marriott Corporation for the next couple years. In the fall of 1972, John left the group to pursue his own musical interests and his love, country music.
Throughout the seventies John performed full time in the Houston and surrounding areas. In the early eighties he organized a six piece country band and began touring the Texas and gulf coast, country dance hall circuit. In 1983 John and his band were given the opportunity to open for George Strait. They opened George’s southwestern concert tour dates during 1983 and 1984. John and his band also toured as the opening act for other artists including Johnny Rodriguez, Earl Thomas Conley, T. G. Sheppard and Gary Morris.
In February of 1990 John toured nationally with a country group called the Kikker Band who lived and worked out of Lansing, Michigan. The Kikker Band was dubbed “Ambassadors to Country Music” by the Governor of Michigan and was a long established and popular group in the state. He left the group in mid November of that year and moved back to his home in Katy, Texas.
For the past many years John has remained active in the music business and in Music Ministry. He has served as Music Minister for Legacy Outfitters, a national men’s ministry organization for the past several years. In 2010 he and his wife Carol joined the All Around Cowboy Church in Sealy, Texas, where John serves as one of the Worship leaders. Their Pastors are Sonny and Gloria Rice.
John became the rhythm guitarist and one of the vocalists for “Sonny Rice and the Hall of Famers”, a group dedicated to traditional Western Swing and Gospel music. The group’s core members include Sonny Rice on upright bass, Terry Barnett on lead guitar and vocals, and John. Sonny and Terry have both received numerous awards for their contributions to Western Swing Music. The band currently performs regularly for area venues, operas, dances, private functions, charitable events and Ministry opportunities.
John currently serves as the Vice President for the Western Swing Music Society of the Southwest and is the rhythm guitarist/vocalist for the WSMSS band. The WSMSS band received the Cowtown Society of Western Music, 2020 Western Swing Band of the Year Award.
Special Awards/Recognition:
Western Swing Music Society of the Southwest - 2019 Musicians Hall of Fame Inductee
Cowtown Society of Western Music - 2020 Hero of Western Swing Inductee
Western Swing Society of Sacramento, CA - 2021 Hall of Fame Inductee