Until now, my bio has always been written by someone else. I always thought that was the proper and professional way to do it, but the truth is, who knows me better than I know myself? Of course, that would be God—but since He probably won't be writing my bio, I will go ahead and tell you a little about Whitney Steele.
My favorite color is purple (even my carpet is royal purple), I love God with all my heart and I believe Jesus died for me, I have 4 amazing parents and the best family in the world, I drink 2 cups of coffee when I wake up in the morning, I spend more time singing than I do talking, I keep care packages for homeless people in my car for when I see them at a red light, Amy Grant is one of my biggest inspirations, I taught myself how to play the guitar, I am currently learning the piano, I love wearing jeans and Uggs, one of my favorite things to do is laugh until my stomach hurts and I can hardly breathe, I am not ashamed anymore to share about my struggles and the mistakes I've made, I love a good cry every once in a while, I still prank call even though I'm a grown-up, my friends are awesome, my peace comes from knowing Jesus, one of my favorite scriptures from the Bible is Psalm 46:10, and I am eternally grateful for the gift of music!
I would love to take up these next couple paragraphs by letting you all know a little more about "who" I am as opposed to "what" my accomplishments have been in the industry so let me get all of the "great" things out of the way. Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed all of the wonderful moments that finally come from years of relentless hard work, diligence, determination, and pillow cases soaked with tears. But in retrospect, it's all of these things that have made this journey so incredible! The amazing moments are just a bonus and a reward for giving everything you have to fully living your dreams...a reward for sacrificing everything, all so that your voice can be heard!
That being said, my favorite on stage memories have been sharing the stage with Amy Grant, Kutless, Kenny Loggins, Gin Blossoms, Lisa Loeb, J.R. Richards (of Dishwalla), Shawn Colvin, Casey Abrams, Eddie Money, Phil Keaggy and Tyler Hilton. And yes, I was feelin' alright when I was invited on stage to sing "Feelin' Alright" by the legendary Dave Mason (of Traffic). I have had the honor of singing the national anthem on several occasions for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, and Phoenix Coyotes. I was thrilled to see myself on my first billboard in Los Angeles (you can find a picture in the photo gallery). It was also pretty fun getting cozied up on the couch to watch myself on TV for two seasons as a judge on the CBS television show Lucky Break. A life-changing experience for me was driving across the country all by myself on the "Nail Parlor Music Tour." That’s right…traveling from Phoenix to New Hampshire, I sang in over 150 nail parlors as customers were getting manis and pedis! (You can find videos of the tour in my video section.)
I did a few cartwheels when I found out I would be singing a duet with Robin Wilson of the Gin Blossoms, which is featured on my album “Any Thoughts on That?” Pinched myself a couple times when Scotty Johnson, Gin Blossoms’ lead guitarist, was a guest on my Web show, Whitney Steele's Favorite Show. I sang an acoustic version of their hit “Found Out About You” while Scotty accompanied me on the guitar (you can find this video in my video section). It was a thrill being nominated for best pop single of the year for the Hollywood F.A.M.E. Awards in 2007. I also pretty much mastered my back handspring when I won music video of the year and singer/songwriter of the year for the Phoenix Music Awards in 2008!
While this journey has been filled with ups and downs, twists and turns, and many lessons learned, my deepest passion is living a life of purpose that will make God smile. It fills me with pure joy to announce that I am currently in the process of recording my first Christian album—“Beyond These Four Walls” has been stirring up in my heart for a very long time! The 12-song album will include original songs that I have poured my heart into, like “Be Silent, Be Still” and “Beyond These Four Walls,” as well as my own version of one of my favorite cover songs of all time...that would be “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen.
Following a dream is never easy. It's not supposed to be...how boring!! :)
