Steve Tyrell
Grammy Award-winning producer and vocalist Steve Tyrell “brings a touch of Texas grit to the Great American Songbook,” this according to the San Francisco Chronicle. That makes sense since Tyrell hails from the Lone Star State. He was just 19 when he left Houston and headed to New York to begin his career in the music business. Since then he has achieved great success as a singer, producer, musical supervisor, and radio host.
Grammy Award-winning producer and vocalist Steve Tyrell “brings a touch of Texas grit to the Great American Songbook,” this according to the San Francisco Chronicle. That makes sense since Tyrell hails from the Lone Star State. He was just 19 when he left Houston and headed to New York to begin his career in the music business. Since then he has achieved great success as a singer, producer, musical supervisor, and radio host.
His breakthrough performances in Father of the Bride and Father of the Bride II helped Tyrell reinvent and re-popularize classic pop standards for a modern-day audience. His hits, “The Way You Look Tonight,” “The Simple Life,” “Crush On You,” and “The Sunny Side of the Street,” have launched millions of romances. NASA took a particular liking to his iconic version of “The Sunny Side of the Street,” and used it to wake up the astronauts in outer space!
As an artist, 11 of 12 of his American Standards albums have achieved Top 5 status on Billboard’s Jazz charts, including his #1 smash album, A Song For You, which was released in 2018 and features songs by Van Morrison, Joe Cocker, Ray Charles and Leon Russell, among others. His album, The Disney Standards, landed in the Top 10. His first album, A New Standard, was among the best-selling jazz albums for more than 5 years. Steve is currently in the process of putting the finishing touches on his 13th album Shades of Ray, his tribute to Ray Charles.
In August 2015, Tyrell added radio host to his long line of credits. “The Steve Tyrell Show” could be heard weekdays from 5PM to 8PM/PT on KJAZZ 88.1 in Los Angeles and online at jazzandblues.org.
Steve has played for Heads of State, including Presidents Clinton, Bush, Trump, and President Santos of Columbia. He has also performed for the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
As for American royalty, the Sinatra family has long embraced Steve and his music. Together with Quincy Jones, they handpicked Steve to be the featured performer with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra at their season opening concert in which Frank Sinatra was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame. Also, at the request of the Sinatra family, he reprised that performance at Carnegie Hall. This was one of the rare times the family has reached into the vault of original Sinatra arrangements to share them with another artist.
Although Steve tours mainly with his band, he has also sung with some of the most renowned orchestras in the world. He has enjoyed multiple performances with The Boston Pops, The New York Pops, The Nashville Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, and The Houston Symphony.
In 2005, after the passing of the legendary Bobby Short, Steve was asked by New York City’s Café Carlyle to take over their revered holiday season of November and December, which Mr. Short had not missed for 36 years. Since then, he has been ringing in the New Year in swinging style and selling out the famed nightclub.
Tyrell’s work in the studio as a record producer has included collaborations with such diverse and legendary artists as Rod Stewart, Diana Ross, Ray Charles, Linda Ronstadt, Aaron Neville, Bonnie Raitt and Blood Sweat and Tears, among many others. He produced Woody Allen’s classic comedy album, Woody Allen - Stand Up Comic, as well as an album with the late Andy Griffith, which won the Grammy in 1995 for Gospel Album of the Year. His productions have earned over 11 GRAMMY® Awards themselves.
Steve also enjoyed major success with Emmy and Tony Award-winning Broadway superstar, Kristin Chenoweth. Their 2018 collaboration, The Art of Elegance, skyrocketed to the #1 spot on several of Billboard’s charts. Their latest album For The Girls debuted in September 2019 and also hit #1 on the Billboard charts.
As a music producer for film and TV, Tyrell has worked with such distinguished directors as Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Nancy Meyers, Steven Soderbergh, and Charles Shyer.
As a songwriter, his songs have been recorded by such revered artists as Ray Charles, Diana Ross, LL Cool J, Elvis Presley, and blues legend Joe Bonamassa.
Aside from being a GRAMMY® Award winner, Tyrell is a Daytime Emmy Award winner and has earned two Prime Time Emmy nominations. He’s also garnered three Ace Nominations, the 2004 American Society of Young Musician’s “All That Jazz Award,” a 2004 The Wellness Community “Human Spirit Award,” a 2006 Society of Singers “Lifetime Achievement Award,” 2008 Los Angeles Jazz Society’s “Jazz Vocalist of the Year,” and 2013 City of Hope’s “Goodwill Ambassador Award.”
Steve Tyrell lives in Los Angeles, but relishes his days in the Big Apple where he can spend time with his children and grandchildren.