Born in Burbank, Calif., music took hold of Jeffrey Steele's imagination when he was 8 years old and singing for the first time at a function hosted by his church. His youthful rendition of Three Dog Night's "Joy to the World" earned a standing ovation, so he belted it out another seven times for his captive audience. Within a few years, he was writing songs and began performing with local groups when he was 17.

His background includes a mother who sang and enjoyed the big band sound, while his country-loving dad aspired to a songwriting career. He was exposed to the tons of records purchased by his siblings, and in his teens, he parked himself and his keyboards along the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles to perform. Later gigs had him playing Jimi Hendrix-type rock, while other jobs called for the country style of artists such as Willie Nelson.

Steele was in his 20s and working in a house band when he started rubbing shoulders with such artists as Hank Thompson, Red Simpson and other West Coast musicians. Beginning in 1990, he performed as bassist and lead singer for the California group Boy Howdy for six years. In 1991, the California Country Music Association dubbed him best bassist and best male vocalist for his work with the band. The band also scored a major country hit with “She’d Give Anything,” which R&B singer Gerald Levert remade as “I’d Give Anything.” Upon the group's breakup, Steele (whose real last name is Levasseur) settled in Nashville in 1994.

In the ensuing decade, Steele emerged as a first-rate songwriter. His cuts include Tim McGraw’s “The Cowboy in Me,” Diamond Rio’s “Unbelievable,” Rascal Flatts’ “These Days,” Faith Hill’s “When the Lights Go Down,” Trace Adkins’ “Chrome,” LeAnn Rimes’ “Big Deal,” as well as Montgomery Gentry’s “Speed,” “Hell Yeah” and “My Town.” In 2001, he recorded an album for Monument Records, but it was not released. In 2004, he issued Outlaw on an independent label.