“The Way You Look Tonight” singer Steve Tyrell on his career and Valley life.
Touching base with Grammy-winning producer and singer Steve Tyrell.
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The jacaranda-lined streets of Grammy winner Steve Tyrell’s Sherman Oaks home are a far cry from Houston’s impoverished Fifth Ward where he grew up. “Our streets were made of rocks and shell. My father owned a little Italian grocery store and we lived in the back,” Steve shares.
At 19, Steve climbed behind the wheel of his convertible, yellow ‘64 Chevy Impala and hit the road for the Big Apple.
He landed a job at Scepter Records, promoting such acts as Dionne Warwick and The Shirelles. Then he headed west, ultimately ending up in Sherman Oaks, where he has lived for more than 30 years. “Being home is like being on a vacation for me, and I love that Beverly Hills and Hollywood are just a stone’s throw away.”
As a producer, he has worked with legends such as Ray Charles, Diana Ross, Linda Ronstadt and Rod Stewart, winning the British rocker his only Grammy.
Steve’s career morphed from producer to singer while prepping for the 1991 movie Father of the Bride. Director Charles Shyer and producer Nancy Meyers heard Steve singing the demo for “The Way You Look Tonight.” Impressed, they cast him as the wedding singer. “It changed my life,” says Steve. Twenty-five years and 12 albums later, he’s still going strong.
Steve tours throughout the year and wraps it up each December at the Cafe Carlyle in New York. He’s done his solo act there every holiday season since the passing of the legendary Bobby Short in 2005. “It was an unexpected privilege, an honor to take over for Bobby Short. I never imag- ined I’d be doing this for 13 years. I also never imagined I’d make 10 albums that achieved Top 5 status on the Billboard charts, after I turned 50 years old.”
Steve recently made headlines when Hillary Clinton and her family took in his show at the Carlyle on one of her first post-election nights out, one that landed on the front page of the Sunday edition of The New York Times.
These days, Steve is dedicated to finishing his next album, a tribute to Ray Charles. It’ll be recorded at his favorite place in the world … home
Where you’ll spot Steve
FABROCINI’S
“The food is always a home run! Nothing beats eating al dente alfresco!”
VAN NUYS-SHERMAN OAKS PARK
“I love doing laps around the park, passing by the Sherman Oaks Little League .”
DOMINGO’S
“I’m powerless when it comes to their warm, fresh- baked ciabatta and crunchy biscotti!”