Steve Bell (musician)
| Steve Bell | |
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Bell in 2009
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| Background information | |
| Born |
November 17, 1960 Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
| Origin | Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
| Genres | folk |
| Occupation(s) | performer, songwriter, producer |
| Instruments | guitar, vocals |
| Labels | Signpost |
| Website | www |
Steve Bell (born November 17, 1960) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is among the best-known Christian musicians in Canada and is an accomplished songwriter and record producer. Bell has an extensive catalogue of songs including "Deep Calls to Deep", "Eventide" and "Fresh and Green". Before embarking on his solo career he was a long-time member of the group Elias, Schritt, and Bell. In 1989, Bell founded the independent recording label Signpost Music along with Dave Zeglinski, long-time friend and co-producer. His first solo album, Comfort My People, was released on Signpost that same year. Bell now has eighteen albums to his credit. Among his many awards are two Junos and several GMA Canada Covenant Awards.
Steve Bell has been performing music since childhood. His recording career began at 13 when his family's gospel band, The Alf Bell Family Singers, recorded an LP. The album contains some of his earliest songwriting. After graduating from high school he was a member of a succession of bands playing a number of different musical genres. For three years he played with the secular folk trio Elias, Schritt and Bell, along with Tim Elias and John Schritt. The group released one commercial studio album, Awakening, in 1982. Bell quit the band and performed with various artists (Rocki Rolletti, Rhonda Hart, Byron O'Donnell, Bob King) until 1988 when he withdrew from performing. It was during this period that his childhood Christian faith became reanimated and over a six-month period wrote most of the material for his first four solo projects. Faced with a lack of interest from established labels he formed the Indie record label Signpost Music in 1989 and released his first solo album. The first edition of Comfort My People comprised 300 Cassettes.
Bell has gone on to release fifteen solo albums. His tours have taken him all over North America and the world. In 1994 Signpost Music received a boost when Bell became business partners with his co-producer Dave Zeglinski. Bell was the Juno Awards' first winner in the Best Gospel Album category in 1998. That category was created from the former Blues/Gospel Album category, which represented the industry's recognition of Contemporary Christian Music in Canada. He has also won and been nominated for several Gospel Music Association Canada Covenant Awards, including Male Vocalist of the Year, Recorded Song of the Year and Album of the Year. Bell performed at the 30th annual Covenant Awards night on October 24, 2008.
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