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Thursday, November 11, 1999
By Brenda Locklear Thousands of people were gathered in the former Grand Ol' Opry theater when Sumter barber John Steed was named Christian country's "New Artist of the Year." Steed, who works with his dad in a Bushnell barber shop, also has three songs on the country Christian radio chart. He was named during a Thursday, Nov. 4 awards ceremony in Nashville.
"Being from Sumter County and being up there with all those stars, all those big named people, that's kind of intimidating." But with all the intimidation came the thrill. He spent the week of Sunday, Oct. 31 through Thrusday, Nov. 4 in Nashville promoting his music and showcasing his work. During the Thursday night show, which was taped and will be aired later on TNN, Steed sat between representatives from two different record labels. He ws also approached by Gospel Music Television and asked about doing a music video, he said. Citing all the talent he was up against, Steed said he ws shocked when he was named the top new artist. He showcased his work two nights prior to the awards ceremony and said while he was intimidtaed, he thought, "If they like me - they do, if they don't - they don't, that's all I can do." Along with talking to representatives from Morning Star and White River record labels, Steed said he bagan work on his latest album. "I'll fly back out after Thanksgiving to finish it, " he said. While he contemplates the future and whether he'll pursue the record label idea or go it on his own, he's back at Steed's Barber Shop in Bushnell - a place where he's come up with a lot of his music. While he was in Nashville, he also learned that record labels aren't the only answer for performers. "I learned it can be beneficial to reamin independent like I am right now," he said, adding that label companies tell the artist where to go, when to go, how to dress. "And that doesn't allow the Lord to be your manager, and that's important to me," he said. As for his chart songs, they include the title cut from his first album "Good Hands Now" and a tribute to his late brother. Last year he cut a second album titled "Almost Home" - two of the songs from the album hit the charts and one of those two, "Rumbling in the Rails" went to number one. "There Goes the Neighborhood" hit ninth on the chart. His music is being played on more than 1,200 radio stations across the nation. Some of today's top country Christian artists, including Ken Holloway, Lisa Daggs and Midsouth, signed at Christian Country Music Association (CCMA) seminars in previous years, Steed said. While in Nashville, Steed also put a new album together - that album includes "You Gotta Be Tough," "Tear Down the Walls" and "Pale Horse rider" - a song based on events in the book of Revelation. Locally, his music can be heard on 640 a.m. radio. For now, he's going to lay back and pull his thoughts together. He noted that Nashville provided an opportunity to make a lot of countacts and now he will consider his future and what direction he wants to follow. The event drew a number of top mainstream artists as well, Steed said, adding that Mark Wills, Shane Minor and Marty Ravens were on hand.
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With a laugh, he said the event was a little "scary."