Jevetta Steele

Jevetta Steele, born November 14, 1962, in Gary, Indiana, is an American singer working across R&B, jazz, and gospel. Before pursuing a career in music and performance, Steele relocated to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she had intended to become a criminal lawyer. She is also a member of the gospel group The Steeles, which includes her sister Jearlyn and brothers JD, Fred, and Billy.

Steele's stage career began in 1983 when she took on the lead role of Ismene in the touring production of The Gospel at Colonus. She subsequently brought that show to Broadway in 1988. Additional stage credits include Smokey Joe's Cafe, Don't Bother Me I Can't Cope, Ain't Misbehavin', Crowns, and Double Infidelities. She also composed the musical Two Queens, One Castle.

Her most widely recognized recording is "Calling You," a song written by Bob Telson — the composer of The Gospel at Colonus — for the 1988 film soundtrack of Bagdad Café. The track earned an Academy Award nomination and served as Steele's debut single, generating significant airplay across Europe and reaching the top ten in both Sweden and France. Her success in France led to a recording contract there, and in 1989 she released a follow-up single, "I Will Remember," produced again by Telson.

Steele's debut album, Here It Is, was recorded primarily at Paisley Park and produced by Tommy LiPuma, Ricky Peterson, and Maurice White. It was first released in France in 1991 and reissued in 1993, reaching number 15 on the Blues and Soul UK Hiplist chart. The album included "Calling You," and the Japanese release added a cover of Dionne Warwick's "Say A Little Prayer For You." That same year, The Steeles released their debut album, Heaven Help Us All.

Beginning in 1988, Steele established herself as an in-demand session singer, working both independently and with The Steeles. Through those sessions she connected with Prince and his associates, contributing vocals to his recordings and to projects he produced between 1989 and 1995. She has also recorded and toured with George Clinton, 10,000 Maniacs, and Mavis Staples, and provided backing vocals on two tracks — "Lie Down in Darkness" and "Move to Memphis" — on the Norwegian group a-ha's album Memorial Beach. In 1994, her voice appeared on the film soundtrack of Corrina, Corrina, performing "Over the Rainbow."

Her 2006 album My Heart is a collection of original and classic jazz material. Steele is married and has three children — Kenyari, Kortland, and Jasmine — all of whom are singers, musicians, and entertainers.