Jeffrey Steele

Induction Year: 2013

Birth Name: Jeffrey A. LeVasseur

Birth Date: 08-27-1961

Place of Birth: Burbank, California

Jeffrey Steele was born in Burbank, CA, into a musical family. He was raised in North Hollywood. He made his stage debut at age 8 as a guest vocalist in his brother's band at a church dance. By age 17, he was playing in rock clubs on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, as well as in the country bars of the San Fernando Valley. The multi-instrumentalist also toured as a country sideman.

From 1990-1996, he was the lead singer and bass player for the country band Boy Howdy. The group scored several hits with Steele's songs, notably 1993's pop-crossover success "She'd Give Anything" / "I'd Give Anything."

Steele moved to Nashville in 1994. After Boy Howdy disbanded, he embarked on a career as a solo artist and a Music Row songwriter. Among his biggest hits have been "Unbelievable" by Diamond Rio, "The Cowboy In Me" by Tim McGraw, "My Town" by Montgomery Gentry, "These Days" by Rascal Flatts, "Something To Be Proud Of" by Montgomery Gentry, "Brand New Girlfriend" by Steve Holy, "Me And My Gang" by Rascal Flatts, "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts and "Knee Deep" by the Zac Brown Band & Jimmy Buffett.

Steele's co-written "What Hurts The Most," recorded by Rascal Flatts, was BMI's 2007 Country Song of the Year. Jeffrey Steele was named BMI's Country Songwriter of the Year in 2003 and 2007. He was the Nashville Songwriters Association's Songwriter of the Year in 2003, 2005 and 2006.

The songwriter was a judge on NBC-TV's Nashville Star in 2008, and he has also appeared on CMT's Gone Country series and GAC's reality series The Hitmen of Music Row. He has released several solo albums.

Jeffrey Steele has had more than 500 recordings of his songs and been responsible for 95 singles and sales of 50 million units. He founded the Jeffrey Steele Songwriting Boot Camp to mentor aspiring writers.
 

"A Cowboy's Born With A Broken Heart"

(written with Chris Farren)

Boy Howdy1993 #12 country
 

"And The Crowd Goes Wild"

(written with Craig Wiseman)

Jeffrey Steele2001 
Mark Wills 2003 #29 country
 

"Big Deal"

(written with Al Anderson)

LeAnn Rimes1999 #6 country, #23 pop
 

"Brand New Girlfriend"

(written with Bart Allmand, Shane Minor)

Steve Holy 2006 #1 country, #40 pop
 

"Chrome"

(written with Anthony Smith)

Trace Adkins2002 #10 country, #74 pop
 

"Couldn't Last A Moment"

(written with Danny Wells)

Collin Raye2000 #3 country, #43 pop
 

"Every Day"

(written with Alissa Moreno)

Rascal Flatts2008 #2 country, #45 pop
 

"Every Time I Hear Your Name"

(written with Keith Anderson, Tom Hambridge)

Keith Anderson 2006 #7 country, #64 pop
 

"Gone"

(written with Bob DiPiero)

Montgomery Gentry2004 #3 country, #53 pop
Scotty McCreery2011 
 

"Hell Yeah"

(written with Craig Wiseman)

Montgomery Gentry2003 #4 country, #45 pop
 

"Hello L.O.V.E."

(written with Danny Wells)

John Michael Montgomery 1999 #15 country, #71 pop
 

"Help Somebody"

(written with Kip Raines)

Van Zant2005 #8 country, #66 pop
 

"Here"

(written with Steve Robson)

Rascal Flatts2008 #1 country, #50 pop
 

"I Keep Coming Back"

(written with Steve Robson)

Josh Gracin2006 #28 country
 

"I'm Tryin'"

(written with Anthony Smith, Chris Wallin)

Trace Adkins2001 #6 country, #44 pop
 

"If You Love Somebody"

(written with Chris Farren)

Kevin Sharp1997 #4 country
 

"International Harvester"

(written with Shane Minor, Danny Myrick)

Craig Morgan2007 #10 country, #67 pop

"Knee Deep"

(written with Coy Bowles, Zac Brown, Wyatt Durrette)

Zac Brown Band & Jimmy Buffett2011 #1 country, #18 pop
 

"Love Is A Beautiful Thing"

(written with Craig Wiseman)

Phil Vassar2007 #2 country, #48 pop
Paul Brandt2000 #38 Country (as
 

"Me And My Gang"

(written with Tony Mullins, Jon Stone)

Rascal Flatts2006 #6 country, #50 pop
 

"My Town"

(written with Reed Nielsen)

Montgomery Gentry2002 #5 country, #40 pop
Cledus T. Judd (as  

"My Wish"

(written with Steve Robson)

Rascal Flatts2006 #1 country, #13 a/c, #28 pop
 

"Please"

(written with John Hobbs, Michael Dulaney)

Pam Tillis2001 #22 country
 

"She'd Give Anything"

(written with Chris Farren, Vince Melamed)

Boy Howdy1993 #4 country
Gerald Levert1994 #4 r&b, #28 pop (as "I'd Give Anything")

"Something To Be Proud Of"

(written with Chris Wallin)

Montgomery Gentry2005 #1 country, #41 pop
 

"Speed"

(written with Chris Wallin)

Montgomery Gentry2003 #5 country, #47 pop
 

"Sunday Morning In America"

(written with Keith Anderson, Rivers Rutherford)

Keith Anderson2007 #28 country

"The Cowboy In Me"

(written with Al Anderson, Craig Wiseman)

Tim McGraw2002 #1 country, #33 pop
 

"These Days"

(written with Steve Robson, Danny Wells)

Rascal Flatts2002 #1 country, #23 pop
 

"They Don't Make 'Em Like That Anymore"

(written with Chris Farren, Vince Melamed)

Boy Howdy1994 #2 country
 

"True To His Word"

(written with Chris Farren, Gary Harrison)

Boy Howdy1995 #23 country
 

"Unbelievable"

(written with Al Anderson)

Diamond Rio1998 #2 country, #36 pop
Cledus T. Judd1999 (as

"What Hurts The Most"

(written with Steve Robson)

2007 BMI Country Song of the Year

Mark Wills 2003 
Jo O'Meara2005 #13 UK
Rascal Flatts2006 #1 country, #1 a/c, #6 pop
Mark Wills 2007 
Cascada2007  #1 dance, #10 UK
 

"When The Lights Go Down"

(written with Rivers Rutherford, Craig Wiseman)

Faith Hill2003 #26 country
 

"You're In My Head"

(written with Shane Minor, Chris Wallin)

Brain McComas 2004 #21 country

Jeffrey Steele

Induction Year: 2013