Steve Waldrip

Steve’s love of music runs as deep as the mighty Mississippi, born in Memphis Tennessee, home of Sun Studio’s which has turned out some of the most legendary artist of all time. Steve’s love of music was and always has been second nature. At the tender age of eight years old, his family moved even further south into the Mississippi delta. Just a stone’s throw away from Clarksdale Mississippi, the home of the blues, and where legend has it blues guitarist Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil. Music ran in his blood, he had a passion for the sounds, the stirring of the soul, which only an acoustic guitar and a bluesy voice can produce. That is until he formed a personal relationship with God. The quiet stirring would become an eruption of unequivocal love, for the one, and only Father in heaven.

Steve, even though born into a family who had a deep appreciation for music, not one, had any natural born ability in creating it. Every dog in the delta could be heard for miles, howling with the family’s rendition of “Happy Birthday, dear, so and so”. His brother had a bit of a knack for playing guitar, but as far as seeing his face on the Grammy’s….not likely. Steve’s brother one day decided to pass on his ole Sears Silver tone onto his younger brother, just as older Brother’s do, a rite a passage, so to speak. And try as he may, Steve couldn’t hit a lick.

Squirming in the sanctuary of Longcrest Baptist church, just like any young boy, most of the praying was for the preacher to stop preaching so he could go home and play. This one particular Sunday, the preacher woke that young boy up from his somewhat comatose state, when he uttered the words “if you want God to give you something, ask God for it, and tell him how you will use it for him”. A light bulb went off in that little boy, more like a flashing neon sign. He ran home and dropped down to his knees, guitar not far away, “God if you’ll teach me to play this thing, and sing, I’ll play and sing for you”. And he did! But it was short lived to say the least,

As Steve grew into an adolescent, he learned first-hand how cruel kids could be, bullied and picked on for having an afro and adorning coke bottle horn rimmed glasses, Steve was the butt of many a joke at school. He threw himself into his music as an escape, but when people heard him play, they realized, this kid’s good. The more the “in” crowd accepted Steve, the further away from God he got. Steve found himself in the circle of Memphis's most elite of musicians. And has had the privilege of sharing the stage with the likes of Randy Travis, Carl Perkins, etc. Writing songs for professional sporting teams, as well as penning a song for the Mississippi flag fight, entitled “You’ll never take the rebel out of me”, that gained southeastern radio play. He was widely accepted as a singer/songwriter, but his heart always remembered the covenant he had made with God.

In Steve’s early twenties, Steve supported his already growing family by playing in local clubs. A prominent strip club owner approached him one night, and made a proposition Steve couldn’t refuse, and with it, a downward spiral that would almost cost Steve his life. Steve found that he also had a head for business, and within a few months was managing the club he was working in, and would work his way up to general manager. His love of playing guitar and singing, and his relationship with God, by now had become just a fleeting memory. Steve’s was at the height of his career in the adult entertainment industry, and even though Steve was immensely popular, respected and successful in his career, he was miserable. Now a full blown alcoholic, recreational drug user, and surrounded by beautiful women, he was alone. Steve found his life hanging in the balance after being set up by an x. Bruised and beaten horribly, he plotted revenge against his assailants.

After recovery from his injuries, he sat out for revenge. Booze in his blood, and fire in his eyes, he sped down a Mississippi highway to where his attackers had been hiding out. Fate stepped in and before he reached his destination, Mississippi's finest stepped out. Now jailed for a DUI, Steve had reflected on the events that had transpired, and realized, God was calling his prodigal son, to live out the covenant he had made with him, not only on his knees that night, but also when he gave his heart to Jesus as a youngster at the Bill Rice ranch.

With the knowledge that God had his hand on Steve’s life, he became a warrior for Christ. He put his passionate love of God in every song he wrote, only to find himself shunned by the musicians who at one time, had held him in high regard, because of his new life in Christ. Steve wouldn't be deterred, with God leading the way; he started youth groups, a Sunday morning television show, and most notably, started a crusade to put “In God we trust” posters throughout Desoto and Marshall county schools. He found himself just as much at home playing his guitar and singing on the alter, as he did any big stage, in fact even more so.

Steve’s story is one of remarkable grace and mercy that only God can give. This introduction only scrapes the surface of what God has done to change this broken down man into a full-fledged man of God. Steve loves to share more detail of what God has done in his life when surrounded by folks that have, at one time, been lost, or still are, and struggling to find the peace and joy, only God can give to his children. God has blessed Steve with a unique, personable, personality, which seems to draw the broken, to be able to overcome their past, and a hunger to step forward, with God leading the way.