Gospel Juno goes to Steve Bell
Romantics & Mystics garnering attention for singer-songwriter
By Debra Fieguth ChristianWeek staff
WINNIPEG–Troubadour Steve Bell, recipient of the first-ever Juno awarded in the category of gospel, is back in his Winnipeg studio two days after the dazzling Vancouver ceremony and contemplating his good fortune and what it means for his future.
"Do I get a bit of a raise in pay?" he laughs. "I don’t know."
What he does know is the fact that a gospel category was included in the Canadian music awards means the genre is being taken more seriously. "The main thing is there is a recognizable Christian music industry developing," he says. That’s a significant development in a country where endeavors that are specifically Christian don’t always receive the same recognition as those that are perceived to be secular or mainstream.
Bell, his manager Dave Zeglinski and their wives had fifth-row seats at the March 22 event at GM Place. "It was a blast," says the singer-songwriter, who has recorded six albums, including the winning Romantics & Mystics. "It was just a lot of fun."
Bell, who thought the gospel Juno might go to Vancouver’s more-established Carolyn Arends, says being at the ceremony and receiving the award "was overwhelming in a very positive sense."
Learned in jails
The son of a Baptist prison chaplain, Bell, now 37, learned to play guitar while performing with his family in jails. He pays tribute to his inmate guitar instructors in "Drumheller Circle" on the newest album (CW, Dec16/97).
After years of working, touring and recording while raising three children with his wife Nanci, his efforts and commitment appear to be paying off. For one thing, Billboard magazine has named him as one of 10 Canadian musicians most likely to "break out" this year.
Increased distribution helps. Winnipeg-based Peg Music is getting Romantics & Mystics into stores all over the country, and the media is taking notice. Bell was featured in The Globe and Mail, the album was recently reviewed in a British Christian magazine, and radio stations in Australia are playing his songs. "There’s a bit of momentum happening right now," Bell says.
While the lyrics in many of the songs on the newest album are more mystical than overtly "gospel," there is an unmistakable Christian tone to the recording. "I have to write what’s in my heart," explains Bell.
