Gene Watson’s Peers within the country music industry believe in the sheer talent of this unassuming man from east Texas, so much so that Gene is regarded by many of them as ‘the singer’s singer’ – and rightly so!
All of Gene Watson’s Peers, who were contacted by The Gene Watson Fan Site, during 2017, were most gracious with their time and words.
It is here, within this special part of The Gene Watson Fan Site, that you have an opportunity to read a quote from Duane Steele, which he submitted to this site on Sday July 2017.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to Duane Steele who has made a special contribution to a unique part of this online ‘celebration of a Lone Star Hero’.
Duane Steele
This quote was submitted on Sday July 2017.
‘‘
Thank you, Duane Steele, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Duane Steele…
Duane Steele hails from Hines Creek, Alberta in Canada.
As a Canadian country music artist, Duane Steele has seen the release of five studio albums and one ‘greatest hits’ album, and has charted multiple singles on the Canadian country music singles chart, including the No.1 hit single ‘Anita Got Married’ () in 1996.
Duane Steele’s career began when he became the lead singer of the band Rock ‘n’ Horse in 1984. The band saw the release of one album, ‘Highways’, in 1991, and the song ‘Real Good Love’ reached No.69 on the Canadian country music singles chart. However, members of the band went their separate ways in 1993.
Duane Steele then moved to Nashville and signed a publishing contract with Warner-Chappell.
In 1995, Duane Steele secured a record deal with Mercury Records following a performance during Canadian Country Music Week.
In February 1996, Duane Steele saw the release of his debut album, ‘PO Box 423’ (Mercury Records, 1996), which was produced by Steve Bogard and Michael D. Clute; the album included five tracks, which were hit singles on the RPM Country Chart in Canada:
‘Stuck on Your Love’ (written by Steve Bogard and Rick Giles) (No.2 in March 1996)
‘Anita Got Married’ (written by Michael Clark and Jeff Stevens) (No.1 for one week in July 1996) / this track was Duane Steele’s first No.1 single
‘The Trouble With Love’ (written by Hal Ketchum and Matraca Berg) (No.3 in October 1996)
‘She’s Tough’ (written by Steve Bogard and Jeff Stevens) (No.10 in February 1997)
‘Two Names on an Overpass’ (No.21, 1997) / this track was a duet with Lisa Brokop
Duane Steele’s debut album, ‘PO Box 423’ (Mercury Records, 1996), also included the following tracks:
‘Lies’
‘Fire to The Devil’
‘Top Down in The Rain’
‘P.O. Box 423’
‘One More Time’
‘Misery with a Beat’
‘Tender to The Touch’
Duane Steele’s debut album, ‘PO Box 423’ (Mercury Records, 1996), reached No.32 on the Canadian RPM Country Albums Chart in 1996.
It was also in 1996 when Duane Steele was nominated for the ‘Vista Rising Star’ Award by the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA), but he lost out to Terri Clark. Duane Steele also received a nomination for ‘Male Vocalist of The Year’.
In 1997, The Juno Awards nominated Duane Steele for ‘Best Country Male Vocalist’, and also the all-genre ‘Best New Solo Artist’.
It was also in 1997 when Duane Steel won his first award, ‘Vocal Event of The Year’, at the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Awards for ‘Two Names on an Overpass’, his duet with Lisa Brokop.
In September 1997, Duane Steele saw the release of ‘This is The Life’ (Mercury Records, 1997), which was produced by Steve Bogard and Michael D. Clute; the album included five tracks, which were hit singles on the RPM Country Chart in Canada:
‘Tell The Girl’ (written by Duane Steele and Jon Robbin) (No.9, 1997)
‘If I Could Just Get to You’ (written by Duane Steele and Jon Robbin) (No.10, 1998)
‘If You Could Read My Mind’ (written by Gordon Lightfoot) (No.32, 1998)
‘Right From The Start’ (No.37, 1998)
‘Little Black Dress’ (No.33, 1999)
Duane Steele’s ‘This is The Life’ (Mercury Records, 1997) also included the following tracks:
‘Leavin’ Made Easy’
‘Let’s Go For a Drive’
‘This is The Life’
‘Little Cabin’
‘Just Like Love’
‘Keep The Change’
‘The Meaning of Life’
Shirley Myers recorded Duane Steele’s ‘Forever in Love’ (co-written with Shirley Myers and Rod Nicholson) and included the track on ‘There Will Come a Day’ (Stony Plain Records, 1999); the track, which reached No.9 on the RPM Country Tracks Chart, in Canada, in August 1999, was a duet with Duane Steele.
Shirley Myers recorded Duane Steele’s ‘I’m Missin’ You’ (co-written with Shirley Myers and Rod Nicholson) and included the track on ‘There Will Come a Day’ (Stony Plain Records, 1999); the track reached No.10 on the RPM Country Tracks Chart, in Canada, in June 2000.
When the singles, ‘If You Could Read My Mind’ (written by Gordon Lightfoot) (No.32, 1998), ‘Right From The Start’ (No.37, 1998) and ‘Little Black Dress’ (No.33, 1999) failed to reach the Top 30 of the RPM Country Tracks Chart in Canada, Duane Steele and Mercury Records parted ways.
In 1999, Duane Steele moved back to Canada and began writing material for his third album, ‘I’ll Be Alright (Jolt Records / Royalty Records, 2000), which was released, in August 2000, and was produced by Louis Sedmak.
Duane Steele’s ‘I’ll Be Alright (Jolt Records / Royalty Records, 2000), which was released on Duane Steele’s own Jolt Records and was distributed by Royalty Records, included seven tracks, which were released as singles on the RPM Country Tracks Chart in Canada:
‘Make Me Crazy’ (written by Jon Robbin and Duane Steele) / this track was released as a single in 2000
‘I’ll Be Alright’ (written by Roy Hurd and Duane Steele) / this track was released as a single in 2001
‘The Good Side of Your Goodbye’ (written by Tara Johns, Louis Sedmak and Duane Steele) / this track was released as a single in 2001
‘What to Do’ (written by Jan Robbin and Duane Steele) / this track was released as a single in 2001
‘This is Love’ (written by Duane Steele and Tim Taylor) / this track was released as a single in 2002
‘I-65’ (written by Jan Robbin and Duane Steele) / this track was released as a single in 2002
‘The Heart of The It Don’t Matter’ (written by Don Bell, Jan Robbin and Duane Steele) / this track was released as a single in 2003
Duane Steele’s ‘I’ll Be Alright (Jolt Records / Royalty Records, 2000) also included the following tracks:
‘Lost in You’ (written by Louis Sedmak and Duane Steele)
‘Who Am I Gonna Love’ (written by Jan Robbin and Duane Steele)
‘Johnny’s Dream’ (written by Louis Sedmak and Duane Steele)
In 2001, the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) named Duane Steele ‘Independent Male Artist of The Year’.
On Tuesday 1 June 2004, Duane Steele saw the release of a ‘greatest hits’ album, ‘Set List’ (Jolt Records / Royalty Records, 2004), which included seventeen of Duane Steele’s biggest hits, along with three new songs:
‘Better Man’ / this track was released as a single on the RPM Country Chart, in Canada, in 2004
‘Nobody Cheated, Nobody Lied’ / this track was released as a single on the RPM Country Chart, in Canada, in 2004
‘Sad Country Song’ / this track was released as a single on the RPM Country Chart, in Canada, in 2005
Duane Steele’s ‘greatest hits’ album, ‘Set List’ (Jolt Records / Royalty Records, 2004), also included the following tracks:
‘The Heart of The It Don’t Matter’ (written by Don Bell, Jan Robbin and Duane Steele) / this track was released as a single in 2003
‘I-65’ (written by Jan Robbin and Duane Steele) / this track was released as a single in 2002
‘This is Love’ (written by Duane Steele and Tim Taylor) / this track was released as a single in 2002
‘The Good Side of Your Goodbye’ (written by Tara Johns, Louis Sedmak and Duane Steele) / this track was released as a single in 2001
‘I’ll Be Alright’ (written by Roy Hurd and Duane Steele) / this track was released as a single in 2001
‘Make Me Crazy’ (written by Jon Robbin and Duane Steele) / this track was released as a single in 2000
‘Right From The Start’ (No.37, 1998)
‘If I Could Just Get to You’ (written by Duane Steele and Jon Robbin) (No.10, 1998)
‘If You Could Read My Mind’ (written by Gordon Lightfoot) (No.32, 1998)
‘Little Black Dress’ (No.33, 1999)
‘Leavin’ Made Easy’ / this was an album track from 1997
‘Tell The Girl’ (written by Duane Steele and Jon Robbin) (No.9, 1997)
‘She’s Tough’ (written by Steve Bogard and Jeff Stevens) (No.10 in February 1997)
‘Two Names on an Overpass’ (No.21, 1997) / this track was a duet with Lisa Brokop
‘The Trouble With Love’ (written by Hal Ketchum and Matraca Berg) (No.3 in October 1996)
‘Anita Got Married’ (written by Michael Clark and Jeff Stevens) (No.1 for one week in July 1996)
‘Stuck on Your Love’ (written by Steve Bogard and Rick Giles) (No.2 in March 1996)
On Tuesday 4 July 2006, Duane Steele saw the release of ‘Ghost Town’ (Icon Records, 2006), which was produced by Steve Fox, and included seven tracks, which were released as singles on the RPM Country Chart in Canada:
‘Comin’ Back Around’ / this track was released as a single in 2006
‘Ghost Town’ / this track was released as a single in 2006
‘What D’Ya Say’ / this track was released as a single in 2007
‘Blue Collar Man’ / this track was released as a single in 2007
‘Real Close’ / this track was released as a single in 2007
‘Two People in a Room’ / this track, which was released as a single in 2008, featured guest vocals from Stacie Roper
‘Bustin’ Out’ / this track was released as a single in 2008
Duane Steele’s ‘Ghost Town’ (Icon Records, 2006) also included the following tracks:
‘Livin’ Backwards’
‘The Man Who Never Wakes Up’
‘Ode to Dad’
On Tuesday 1 June 2010, Duane Steele saw the release of ‘Gas and Time’ (Jolt Records, 2010), which was produced by Duane Steele, and included four tracks, which were released as singles on the RPM Country Chart in Canada:
‘Farm Girl’ / this track was released as a single in 2009
‘Blessed’ / this track was released as a single in 2010
‘Waste of Good Whisky’ / this track, which featured guest vocals from Sean Hogan, was released as a single in 2011
‘Gas & Time’ / this track was released as a single in 2012
Duane Steele’s ‘Gas and Time’ (Jolt Records, 2010) also included the following tracks:
‘Way Too Long’
‘Bottle It’
‘Long Road, Short Memory’
‘Country Singer’
‘Life’s Railway to Heaven’
‘Hooked on Trains’
On Tuesday 17 February 2015, Duane Steele saw the release of ‘Dirt & Dreams’ (Jolt Records, 2015), which included one track, which was released as a single on the RPM Country Chart in Canada:
‘Brave’
Duane Steele’s ‘Dirt & Dreams’ (Jolt Records, 2015) also included the following tracks:
‘Country Folk’
‘After The Harvest’
‘She Dreams Amazing’
‘Great to Be Alive’
‘Brothers & Sisters’
‘What I Live For’
‘Johnny’s Dream’
‘Walk On’
‘Eighth Grade’
‘Hooked on Trains’
• Visit Duane Steele’s Official Site at duanesteele.com
• Follow Duane Steele on Facebook