Steve Azar

Stephen Thomas Azar (born April 11, 1964) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Active since 1996, he has released a total of five studio albums: one on the former River North Records, one on Mercury Nashville, and three independently. Azar has charted nine times on Billboard Hot Country Songs, most successfully with his late 2001-early 2002 hit "I Don't Have to Be Me ('til Monday)", which reached the number two position there.

Steve Azar
Steve Azar, March 2009
Background information
Birth nameStephen Thomas Azar
Born (1964-04-11) April 11, 1964[1]
Greenville, Mississippi, U.S.
GenresCountry[1]
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • Guitar
Years active1996-present
Websitewww.steveazar.com

Biography

Azar was born and grew up in Greenville, Mississippi. He began writing songs at 10 years old, which led him to develop as a guitarist. Azar had his first Nashville recording session when he was 14. After high school, Azar attended Delta State University where he played show after show, including the 1984 World's Fair in New Orleans. Mississippi native Faith Hill remembers being at his shows as a fan in the front row.[2] Graduating with a degree in business management, Azar moved to Nashville in 1993, and in two days, he was offered three song-publishing contracts.[2]

Music career

Azar signed with River North Records in 1996 and released his debut album Heartbreak Town that year. The album charted two singles: "I Never Stopped Loving You" and "Someday".[1]

He did not record another album until 2002's Waitin' on Joe, his first hit album for Mercury Nashville. His first single on that album, "I Don't Have to Be Me ('til Monday)", became his most successful single when it reached number two on Hot Country Songs.[1]

Azar's next album was Indianola in 2008. It was followed one year later by Slide On Over Here.[1]

In April 2016, Azar became the first artist to record a full-length studio album at the Mississippi landmark Club Ebony when he and The Kings Men spent a week recording Down at the Liquor Store, Azar's first new record in five years, which features 13 new, original tracks. The Kings Men are a group of musicians who backed B. B. King, Elvis Presley, and others.[3]

Personal life

In 2006, Steve and his wife Gwen started the Steve Azar St. Cecilia Foundation. The foundation raises money for charitable organizations, particularly in the Delta region, that help sick, disadvantaged and abused children and also supports the promotion and growth of art and music programs within educational and cultural institutions.[4]

Discography

Studio albums
Title Album details Peak chart
positions[5]
US Country US Heat
Heartbreak Town — —
Waitin' on Joe 29 31
Indianola
  • Release date: May 27, 2008
  • Label: Dang Records
 — —
Slide On Over Here
  • Release date: August 4, 2009
  • Label: Ride Records
 57 —
Delta Soul: Volume 1
  • Release date: November 8, 2011
  • Label: Ride Records
 — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Singles
Year Single Peak chart
positions[5]		 Album
US Country US
1996 "Someday"[A] 51 — Heartbreak Town
"I Never Stopped Loving You" 50 —
"Nights Like This" — —
2001 "I Don't Have to Be Me ('til Monday)" 2 35 Waitin' on Joe
2002 "Waitin' on Joe" 28 —
2003 "One Good Reason Why" — —
2005 "Doin' It Right" 47 — N/A
2006 "You Don't Know a Thing" 49 — Indianola
2008 "I Won't Let You Lead Me Down" — —
2009 "You're My Life" 52 —
"Moo La Moo" 39 — Slide On Over Here
2010 "Sunshine (Everybody Needs a Little)" 27 —
2011 "Hard Road" — —
2015 "The Sky Is Falling (Patti Jo's Prayer)"
(featuring Sophie Young)		 — — N/A
"—" denotes releases that did not chart
Notes
  • A^ "Someday" also peaked at number 65 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada.

Other charted songs
Year Single Peak positions[5]
US Country
2006 "Catfish Christmas" 53

Music videos
Year Video Director
1996 "Someday" Steven R. Monroe
"I Never Stopped Loving You" Chris Rogers
2001 "I Don't Have to Be Me ('Til Monday)" Eric Welch
2002 "Waitin' on Joe" Steven Goldmann
2005 "Catfish Christmas" Steven L. Weaver
2006 "You Don't Know a Thing" Peter Zavadil
2007 "Dancin' in the Clouds" (with Namrata Singh Gujral)
2009 "Moo La Moo" Eric Welch
"Moo La Moo" (dance video)
2010 "Sunshine (Everybody Needs a Little)"
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References
  1. Ankeny, Jason. "Steve Azar biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
  2. "About". Steve Azar. 2011-11-08. Archived from the original on 2013-10-29. Retrieved 2012-03-25.
  3. Ozbun, Sarah, Steve Azar & The Kings Men Delta Democrat Times
  4. Steve Azar: The Delta Man Shares His Delta Soul
  5. Steve Azar album chart info
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