Oliver Steele stole all our hearts on his 2023 audition on American Idol Season 21. Nashville’s Oliver Steele comes from a musical family, as his father was an amazing blues guitar player. We saw a heart-warming story of Oliver and his father on the final audition episode of Season 21 American Idol. I’m sure there wasn’t a dry eye out there as we saw this story unfold. Oliver played “In My Life” by The Beatles and crushed it. You could tell right away that he is an accomplished guitar player, and just waited with bated breath on what his voice was going to bring. His smoky voice filled the room as he laid down a very emotional rendition of a rock classic. As he ended the song, the judges asked to have his dad come in, and he played a song to his dad. He played an acoustic version of “Change the World” by Eric Clapton and brought the house down. This song had me at the edge of my seat as he poured his heart into singing this song to his dad. When he nailed that note on “World” at the end of the second song. Wow. All I can say. Wow.
After watching this episode, I had to see if there was any other Oliver Steele music out there. I was pleasantly surprised that Oliver put out a cover of “As It Was” by Harry Styles at the beginning of March 2023 and nailed it. Oliver made this song his own as he slowed the song down and gave it a smooth groove with a voice that soars through the chorus. This song starts out with simple guitar licks, a light touch on the keyboard and a smooth slow drumbeat. As the chorus comes in, Oliver’s voice really opens up as the groove keeps you engaged. The keyboard comps the chorus nicely as it builds up and drops off to the next verse. When the verses come back in, you can hear a John Mayer guitar style as those smooth licks keep the verses moving forward.
This is a great first released song as Oliver moves onto the American Idol stage. I can’t wait to hear more releases from him and I’m excited to see what he will do in the singing competition.
About the artist
Born in Michigan but raised in the town of Mt. Juliet Tennessee, Oliver Steele grew up in a diverse family with a musician for a father who would ensure music would surround him throughout his life. Oliver brings soulful and powerful vocals with a hint of soft-spoken honesty and raw emotion to every performance. At the age of 24, the young singer-songwriter has just begun to make his mark in the music world and around Music City after honing his craft as a singer, musician, and songwriter over the past few years. In addition to being raised by an extraordinary blues guitar player who filled his head with stories of collaborating with legendary musicians, Oliver has begun to work with some of the top notch artists and musicians in the Nashville area, including The Pitch Meeting band. Oliver is currently working on his debut album and astounding audiences at local venues in and around Nashville.
Check out this playlist with Oliver Steele’s “As it Was” and other artists like this.