Today we’d like to introduce you to Steve Griggs.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I grew up a normal childhood with 5 brothers. we were country people. Dad owned furniture stores. I played guitar and sang at family gatherings from an early age. I later owned my own furniture stores. I got involved with drugs and ended up serving 21 years 9 months in federal prison for drug charges. While in prison, I wrote many songs and obtained a paralegal degree.
Upon my release, I decided to do what I love – play guitar and sing. I work for several attorneys to make ends meet. But, continue to seek a career in country music. I have now recorded two albums. My first, titled “Fort Worth to Bakersfield”, won pure country album of 2017 at the Academy of Western Artists Awards. I wrote all the songs on the album while serving my prison sentence. We are in the studio now recording my second album of songs written while in prison. It is scheduled for release in late spring of 2018.
I have had many offers to record in big studios from Nashville and Los Angeles. I recently wrote and recorded a song for a movie about homeless veterans. The title of the song is “Moving Forward”. The movie trailer will be shown early summer of 2018.
Please tell us about your art.
I write, record and perform country music. I think music is a great communication that is universal to all cultures and ethnicities. I write about human experiences to which we can all relate – hard times, good times, sad and funny experiences.
My inspiration is the human experiences that I have lived or knew someone who lived it. Of course, my fundamental inspiration is my family upbringing. My father was of Cherokee Indian decent and was always positive. He taught us the Cherokee beliefs and religion. I get great inspiration from those upbringings. I hope people can feel or observe those fundamental beliefs in my music.
I would like people to know I write from my heart – whether the song is about funny experiences, sad or hard times, or just the human experience.
What do you think about conditions for artists today? Has life become easier or harder for artists in recent years? What can cities like ours do to encourage and help art and artists thrive?
I think conditions for artists today are more difficult in some ways and easier in others. For example, there are more artists these days. However, the internet and technology has made it easier and more affordable to record quality music for release.
Cities can continue to encourage and help artists by having art fairs for all kinds of art. Most chambers of commerce are currently doing quite a bit to encourage that. They should continue in that endeavor.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I perform live from California to Florida. You can find my schedule and songs on my website – stevegriggsband.com and on nearly all social media sites. My songs are also played on both terrestrial and internet radio world-wide.
People can support my work buying my songs or merchandise on social media or attending one of my shows near them.
Contact Info:
- Address: 6220 Gaston Ave., Suite 200A
Dallas, Texas 75214 - Website: www.stevegriggsband.com
- Phone: 12104542512
- Email: elsierod@gmail.com
- Instagram: stevegriggsband/instagram
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stevegriggsband
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/stevegriggsband
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2gyx3lOAA2NpFnwF5hojyD?play=true&utm_source=open.spotify.com&utm_medium=open&autoplay=true
Image Credit:
photos taken by Elsie Houston
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