One could easily mistake Randy Steele for a superhero.
And not just because his name is Randy Steele. He maintains two identities: mild mannered husband and father by day, banjo-wielding bluegrass virtuoso by night. And as a Captain in the Chattanooga Fire Department, he’s saved plenty of lives.
These days he’s in a self-described “transitional period.” He just finished a new song called 1/24. Inspired by the death of a friend, it’s a song about making big changes in life.
“His death really shook up my close friends and family, and it’s been therapeutic to get it out on paper,” he explains. But Randy says songwriting has always been therapy for him. “On top of regular therapy,” he adds with a laugh.
Randy began writing poems when he was 12. His mother was a piano teacher and his uncle was a member of the Aquarium Rescue Unit, a band who shared members with the Grateful Dead and Widespread Panic. He recalls one night at the Georgia Theater when he and Derek Trucks were the only kids backstage.
After studying music in college, Randy found himself at a familiar fork in the road: pursue his musical dreams or build a stable career. Somehow Randy managed to choose both. A brief stint as EMT in Ocoee opened the door to a twenty year career with the Chattanooga Fire Department.
During his downtime in the station, he committed to learning the banjo. It quickly became an obsession. “I love its sound, and its history, and how so many different kinds of people put this instrument where it is today.”
That newfound musical passion collided with his personal life when he began writing songs to relieve the stress of being a first responder. “It’s a great job and I have no regrets, but there’s baggage that comes along with this work. Nobody ever calls 911 because they want you to deliver a cake,” he jokes. “Your normal day on the job is everyone else’s worst day.”
Rather than burden his family and friends, he began to “vent” through songwriting. “It’s probably the best way I’ve found to express my feelings and keep my mental health where it needs to be.
Over the years he’s collected an impressive songbook. And he also put together a fantastic band of local musicians to perform with him, including Tyler Martelli, John Boulware, and Justin Hupp. In 2019 he played 65 shows in 20 states.
2023 was shaping up to be another busy year on the road until Randy was sidelined by knee surgery and the lengthy process of recovery. While touring was on the backburner, he was able to continue reaching audiences through songwriting.
Last year he was a semifinalist for the prestigious Song of the Year award from American Songwriter. Of the 12,000 musicians who entered, Randy finished in the top 80 with his song The Age of Ben.
“The song originated when my son was a baby and he would cry for his mother,” Randy explains. “It was heartbreaking and I wanted to find a way to put that into a song.”
Another of Randy’s songs, A Golden Smile, was a semifinalist in the legendary New Folk Songwriting competition at the Kerrville Folk Festival. He placed in the top 12 of nearly 11,000 entries.
While touring with a full band has been fun, it’s also been logistically complicated and expensive. So as Randy Steele finishes recovering from his knee surgery and returns to touring, he’s planning to do it in a “looser and lighter” style that focuses more on solo singer/songwriter shows.
“Thanks to these songwriting contents a lot of new doors are opening up for solo shows. So I figure I should take the path of least resistance.” This year he’s already booked shows in Knoxville, Indiana, and Ohio with more midwestern dates to follow. “There’s a lot of great songwriting coming out of the midwest right now,” he explains. “I’m excited to get to play there.”
Randy Steele will kick-off a new year of music this Thursday at the Woodshop. He will perform alongside Swayyvo at the Woodshop Variety show hosted by Alex the Band. The show starts at 8 and is free.