J.D. Steele doesn’t just walk onto a stage. He bursts on with a mic, full of energy and ready to belt into song. Steele is the oldest sibling in the Minnesota gospel group The Steeles. And he’s been making music and spreading soul and joy for 40 years in Minnesota.

Steele toured with actor Morgan Freeman on “The Gospel at Colonus,” which landed on Broadway in 1988. He collaborated with Prince during the 1990s. He’s produced, performed and recorded multiple Steeles albums and worked with artists like George Clinton, Mavis Staples, Kim Carnes, Fine Young Cannibals and The Sounds of Blackness.

MPR News host Angela Davis and producer Maja Beckstrom revisit one of their favorite shows from 2023, a conversation last spring with J.D. Steele. It covers his long career, his collaboration with Prince, the healing power of song and his current projects, directing community choirs and inspiring the next generation to sing with soul.

Useful resources

Want to sing with one of the community choirs directed by J.D. Steele? They are free to participate in, don’t require auditions and rehearse together once a week for 90 minutes. Click to find more information about:

• The Mill City Singers.




• The MacPhail Community Youth Choir.




• The Capri Glee! Adult Community Choir.

Guest:

• J.D. Steele is a singer, songwriter, arranger, producer and choir director known for his work with Prince, as part of the J.D. Steele Singers in “The Gospel at Colonus,” in musical theatre and as a member of the Twin Cities-based vocal group The Steeles.

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Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.