Steve Bell

Canadian-born Christian folkie Steve Bell got his start in a family gospel band which toured behind his father, a Baptist minister who served as a prison chaplain in federal penitentiaries. After high school, he toured clubs in a series of little-known bands before joining the acclaimed Elias, Schritt & Bell; life on the road eventually triggered a crisis of faith, however, and in 1988 Bell was born again, retiring from performing to become a stay-at-home father. The move afforded him the opportunity to concentrate on his songwriting with a new determination, and at the urging of his mentor, Father Bob MacDougall, Bell recorded his first CCM release, Comfort My People, for the Signpost label. The album's success encouraged him to return to music full-time, and subsequent efforts including Deep Calls to Deep, Burning Ember, and The Feast further established Bell's growing fan base. His first release on the Peg Music label, Romantics & Mystics, earned a Best Gospel Album Juno award in 1997; Feast of Seasons followed two years later.