John Steel

John W. Steel (January 11, 1895 – June 25, 1971; sometimes referred to as John Steele) was an American tenor. He was featured in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1919 and 1920 and Irving Berlin's Music Box Revues of 1922 and 1923.

Biography

Early life Steel was born in Montclair, New Jersey, on January 11, 1895, and grew up in the New York City area. He served in the military during World War I, and studied music in Paris during leaves of absence from military duty. This was followed by his appearance in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1919, in which he was one of the show's most popular performers. In the 1919 Follies he introduced Irving Berlin's song "A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody," as well as singing "My Baby's Arms" and "Tulip Time." Producer Florenz Ziegfeld is said to have paid him $3,500 a week for this show. In later years, Irving Berlin said that he had composed "A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody" with Steel in mind. As of 1921, he reportedly was paid between $1,000 and $2,000 weekly by Ziegfeld.

In 1922 Steel began touring the United States on a summer vaudeville circuit. He preferred vaudeville to musical theatre because vaudeville allowed him to choose the songs he wanted to sing instead of performing an assigned role. Additionally, he liked working in Los Angeles and the West Coast states of California, Oregon, and Washington. In addition to singing, in Los Angeles he appeared as an amateur boxer in staged matches. In April 1930, in the wake of the highly publicized Inman divorce case, Mabel Steel sued John Steel for divorce. Mabel Steel was then living in Paris, and it was revealed that the couple had been living apart since 1927.

Steel's third wife was Jeanette Hackett, a former dancer. Their son, Donn Raymond Steel, was born in 1930.

Steel died in New York City on June 25, 1971, aged 76. . His wife, Jeanette Hackett Steel, survived him. His son, Donn Steel, died in 1993.

Recordings There are about 40 known recordings of John Steel's work. Almost all of these were made between 1919 and 1923 in New York City for Victor. His contract with Victor ended in 1923. His final three known recordings were made for Columbia in London in 1927.