| Steve Charles | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Born | May 30, 1966 |
| Origin | Shawnee Mission, Kansas, U.S. |
| Genres | Rock Contemporary Christian |
| Instruments | Vocals Banjo |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Associated acts | Steven Curtis Chapman |
| Website | http://www.stevenpcharlesmusic.com |
Steven Patrick Charles (born May 30, 1966), is an American musician, best known as a member of Western Flyer, and for his contributions to the Nashville recording industry.
Born in Shawnee Mission, Kansas, United States, Charles has lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma; Aurora, Ilinois; Stow, Ohio; Bloomington, Indiana and currently resides in Mount Juliet, Tennessee. Learning to play guitar at the age of nine, Charles grew up mostly in Ohio learning to play folk, country and bluegrass. Although obtaining a scholarship in Musical Theater at Kent State University, Charles's interest in guitar/vocal and the recording industry led him to Indiana University (IU) where he majored in Audio Engineering.
After graduating from IU, Charles moved to Nashville and began a career in the music industry. Gaining engineering credits on independent and major label recordings, Charles also worked as a technician at notable recording studios including OmniSound and Quad Recording. Charles also designed and manufactured the Room Mic Footswitch, a device that allows musicians to control turning on a studio room mic during a recording session.
In 1990, Charles auditioned for Steven Curtis Chapman's upcoming "For The Sake Of The Call" tour. After touring as lead guitarist and vocalist with Chapman, Charles met Chris Marion who invited Charles to team up with him and four other musicians (Danny Myrick, TJ Klay, Roger Helton, Bruce Gust) in a band later to become Step One Recording[1] artist Western Flyer.[2] Charles recorded two CDs with Western Flyer and left the group in June, 1996. The remaining members of Western Flyer disbanded at the end of 1996 to pursue other musical opportunities.
Today, Charles resides with his family in the Nashville area where he writes songs, continues to play a wide variety of instruments and musical styles, and works in computer software development.
The following is a list of some of the more notable credits acquire by Charles in the music industry:[3][4]
| Year | Artist | Title | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1889 | Michael W Smith | Christmas | Assistant Engineer |
| 1991 | Gene Watson | At Last | Assistant Engineer[5] |
| 1991 | Vanessa Williams | Comfort Zone | Assistant Engineer |
| 1992 | Steven Curtis Chapman | Great Adventure | Vocals (Background), Voices[6] |
| 1993 | Charlie Chase | My Wife...My Life | Vocals (Background)[7] |
| 1993 | Carman | Revival in the Land | Assistant Engineer[8] |
| 1996 | Western Flyer | Western Flyer | Guitar, Vocals |
| 1996 | Western Flyer | Back in America | Guitar, Vocals |
| 1998 | Vanessa Williams | Greatest Hits: The First Ten Years | Assistant Engineer |
| 2004 | Michael W Smith | Christmas Collection | Assistant Engineer |
| 2010 | Various Artists | The Essential Christmas Collection | Assistant Engineer |