Jearlyn Steele: Woman of Music, Woman of Family, Woman of Power

If you tried to define SAG-AFTRA member Jearlyn Steele based on her various titles, activities and talents, you still wouldn’t have a complete picture of this multifaceted woman whose mantra is “Find the joy in everything!” You would, however, be amazed at all she’s done and continues to do. I recently sat down to hear her story and will try to do it — and her — justice in the paragraphs following.

Steele grew up in Gary, Indiana, and started singing at age 5 with the Steele Family Singers. Encouraged and managed by their father, she and her older brothers, Fred and J.D., and sister, Janice, were the opening act for such gospel greats as Mahalia Jackson and the Blind Boys of Alabama. The siblings’ amazing musical journey continued until their father was struck and killed by a drunken driver in front of their home. Steele was 14. A few weeks afterward, younger brother Billy was hit by a car and badly injured. Although the family stayed strong, the aftermath of these tragedies brought their musical performances to a halt.

After high school, Steele briefly attended Ball State University and planned to move to Atlanta to enroll at a larger college, but fate had different plans. Steele’s mother encouraged her to travel to Minneapolis (where Fred and J.D. had relocated) to save money for school and solidify her plans. When it appeared Steele would stay in Minnesota, brother J.D. encouraged his siblings to start singing again. So Steele, her brothers, and songster Ginger Commodore began performing at churches and other venues. In 1980, after winning the Minnesota State Fair Amateur Talent Competition, the J.D. Steele Singers had their first professional recording session at Cookhouse Recording Studios. During that session, one of the owners of the Minnesota Kicks, a local soccer team, overheard them and asked Steele and Commodore to record a jingle for the team. Afterward, she received multiple requests from producers to do union projects, resulting in Steele’s joining Twin Cities’ AFTRA local in 1981.

Around the same time, the Steeles (including sister Jevetta) became involved in the development of Gospel at Colonus, a musical stage adaptation of Sophocles' tragedy, Oedipus at Colonus. This transformational production was performed in Minneapolis, on Broadway and around the world.

Over the years, the Steeles have recorded and performed with a variety of musicians (including Prince, George Clinton and Mavis Staples), produced five CDs, staged an annual (for 25 years!) Christmas concert in Minneapolis, performed throughout the world and contributed music to several film soundtracks, including Graffiti Bridge and Hoop Dreams. The Steeles will be on stage this October at the Cowles Center in Minneapolis, performing The Colors of Gershwin, their newly crafted concert featuring the music of the Gershwin brothers.

Jearlyn Steele’s personal solo career path led to musical and dramatic appearances on many stages, capped with her 1994 portrayal of Mahalia at the Old Log Theater — coming full circle from her 5-year-old self. It was during that run she was first invited to appear on A Prairie Home Companion radio show, and eventually became a frequent special guest. Steele stated that she has grown musically on the show by performing a wide variety of music. She pointed to her 2004 Steele Praising Hymn CD, compared to a 2009 CD consisting of fan-favorite songs. Steele also appeared in the Robert Altman film A Prairie Home Companion. In the late 1990s, she was invited to host a weekend talk show on WCCO-AM, and she has steered the syndicated Steele Talking program ever since. The show, airing Sunday evenings from 7 to 11 p.m., includes guests and energetic discussions on a diverse range of topics.

Despite the many demands on her time and energy, Steele enrolled at Concordia University-St. Paul, majoring in organizational management and leadership, and finally received her college degree in 2011. She is currently pursuing a graduate degree from St. Catherine’s University-St. Paul.

When I asked Steele for highlights of her amazing journey, she shared the following:

•    About working with Prince on Graffiti Bridge music, she said, “It was wonderful working with Prince; I grew by leaps and bounds as a singer.”
•    The Steeles’ second Christmas show/recording was done with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. It included a special song written for the show by J.D., titled You Will Know, and the final recording was mixed by Fred. The project was wrapped in family from start to finish!
•    While working as a family on sister Jevetta’s My Heart CD and recording the song The Day, the lyrics brought their father’s death to mind. The experience proved to be healing.

Steele, who recently attended a SAG-AFTRA negotiation session for the CBS/WCCO-AM contract, admitted she feels strongly about the importance of unions, as her father was a union “grievance man” (steward). She does think that some union structures are broken and need to be fixed, however she also feels that we should continually remind ourselves and others of the advancements and benefits brought to us by unions, and of the importance of giving members and workers a voice they wouldn’t otherwise have. 

Keep your eyes — and ears — out for more of Jearlyn Steele, as she continues her very energetic journey on stage, screen, radio, sound recordings and beyond. She is a busy woman, but always ready to share her talents, time and thoughts when asked to — with joy!

This item was originally featured in the September 2014 local newsletter.