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Thursday, April 17, 1997
By Brenda Locklear There are times when customers see John Steed standing behind their barber chair. They feel the razor as it glides along shaping their hair. They hear as he converses lightly with them. But there are times when regardless of what their senses tell them, Steed isn't there. Instead, he's a world away, busy pulling emotions and thoughts together into a composition of lyrics and melody.
Steed lives on the Sumter-Citrus County line and is from a family with deep roots in the area, he said, citing his great grandfather as having moved to the area by horse and wagon in the early 1900s. His grandmother's family has been in the area since before the Civil War. "We're like the Waltons. We all live on a farm out there," he said with a smile. He started singing at age five, in church. Writing poetry followed a few years later and by the time he was 13, he was playing the guitar. Just a year had passed, before Steed composed his first song. Since he put that first bit of music together, he's written about 50 songs he said, pointing out that his first 20 songs were straight country and written during a time in his life when he had fallen away from church. Where and when he writes and how long it takes, varies. "I've written songs right behind here," he said, indicating the barber chair, "in a matter of 15 minutes." His brother Gerald, who had remained faithful to his Christian upbringing, had dropped Steed off at home one evening and said he would see him the following morning. But Gerald never came. He had been killed in an automobile accident. His death shook Steed's life and his music, serving as a reminder of how important family is and how each moment should be cherished. He began to focus family and church, joining a Christian band, he had a friend who provided him with funds to make an entire album and his music hit gospel radio, charting. He drew nationwide interest, began selling tapes and saved enough money to make a second album - Good Hands Now. He said because he's an independent, promotion companies wouldn't normally take him, but after one representative heard two tracks from his latest record, Steed was asked to be on a disk with nine other artists promoting new songs. The disk has been sent to 50 radio stations in Florida alone, according to Steed. One of his aunts joined his friend and paid for his trip to Nashville to promote his music, he said. Once there, a promotion company arranged for him to sing at the Bluebird Cafe and Steed sang and signed autographs on Music Row. Before he made Good Hands Now, he went from southern gospel to country Christian with a new band. The group, Cross Road, plays around the state at churches, fairgrounds and other events. He recorded the album with studio music in Pensacola and the title track is a song he wrote for his brother. The front cover includes Steed settled on the steps of a small church and standing in the middle of a blue background. The image of his brother's headstone is at the top right of the cover and a hand is reaching down to Steed from the clouds. Good Hands Now verbalizes what Steed feels is between he and his brother. In the song, Steed talks about visiting the small church where his brother is buried. He tells him he misses him. It goes on to say, "I'd love to see you again, but your voice deep inside me softly says - I'm in good hands now and I wouldn't go back there if I could somehow." Steed pointed out that dying is not just for people who have lived long lives. "It's for everybody. It lets you know how important family is," he said. He's met some top musicians and record producers, getting offers and making connections. "My main focus is getting the message of the song out," Steed said, noting that he'll watch to see how his music does and that will determine where he'll go with his future, whether he'll go with his future, whether it's singer, barber or songwriter. "If that's where the Lord wants me to go, that's what I'll do," he said. Another track on the new record is called Mr. Luke Warm, the words another facet of Steed's writing. The words are, "He's not a sinner, but he ain't no saint - he says he's happy, but I know he ain't.. 'cause he's walking the line that divides right and wrong - where convictions grow weak and temptations are strong." He's got another 10 songs ready to go for his next album and said listeners interested in hearing Good Hands Now can request his music to be played on stations like 99.9 WQYK or 104.5 WRBQ. Because stations get so many compilation disks, listeners should be specific when they ask for a song. His music is on the H.M.G. Family Country Compilation disk, he said.
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P.O. Box 59 Edmonton, KY 42129 Phone: 270-432-5555 E-mail: john@johnsteed.cc |
Copyright © 2002-'04 JSM |
A third generation barber, at 30, he's been a barber for the last 10 years and works alongside his dad at Steed's Barber Shop in Bushnell, he may just be going national in the near future. Not as a barber, but as a musician, singer and songwriter.
