Happy Birthday to Our Too Mississippi Delta Man, Steve Azar! 2

by

Arden Lambert

Updated

April 10, 2018

Updated

April 10, 2018

Updated

April 10, 2018

Steve Azar is a popular singer-songwriter who has combined his Mississippi Delta roots with a distinctive Nashville style. The next-to-youngest in a family of five children, Azar had music in him from an early age. Their home was little Greenville, Mississippi, where his father operated the state’s first liquor store. He was tutored by local blues musicians, such as Sonny Boy Nelson. He shared how he began writing songs when he was just 10 years old,

“I was hooked on Eugene Powell (Sonny Boy Nelson). I would hang out behind my dad’s liquor store, sit on a crate and listen to Eugene sing about his day and about his night before. Those were some of my first lyric writing lessons, even though I didn’t know it at the time.”

These sessions led him to mature as a guitarist. He had his first Nashville recording session when he was 14.

Happy Birthday to Our Too Mississippi Delta Man, Steve Azar! 3

Steve Azar, Delta Man, and his Charity Works

Steve Azar was munching at the bit to make music full time, but his parents insisted he go to college. By the time he graduated from Delta State University with a business management degree, he was playing 200 shows a year. Additionally, he was a regional headliner who played the Delta’s biggest clubs and festivals, including the 1984 World’s Fair in New Orleans. Mississippi native Faith Hill, recalls being at his shows as a fan in the front row.

Later, he moved from Mississippi to Nashville in 1993 to pursue a career in music. In 1996, he released his debut album Heartbreak Town that featured the successful country hit “Somebody”. Steve then took some time away from his music to follow other interests and be with his family.

In 2001, Steve released what he considers his first “real” album, Waitin’ on Joe. Azar made headlines again when the Oscar-winning actor, Morgan Freeman, approved guesting in the 2002 video for “Waitin’ on Joe”. The Waiting on Joe music video, which includes wry, rational commentary by Morgan Freeman, climbed the top on Country Music Television.

Steve Azar stages golf tournaments to benefit his Steve Azar St. Cecelia Foundation. The organization helps charitable organizations in the Mississippi Delta as well as Nashville. It prioritizes Catholic organizations that help sick, needy, or abused children. There is also a yearly four-day “Magnolia” celebrity event that highlights the arts, music, and food that define Delta blues culture. Moreover, Steve sometimes conducts yearly toy, clothing, and food drives and fund-raising shows for his Foundation. Today, Azar has what he calls some “crazy success” has led him to Nashville for 20 years and a career that includes a number of popular hits, touring with Bob Segar, and having his songs recorded by famous musicians such as Reba McEntire.

Enjoy SteveAzar’s Waitin’ on Joe video, featuring Morgan Freeman and his commentaries.

Have more of Steve Azar’s songs by visiting our website on https://www.countrythangdaily.com/.


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