John Steele, Lead
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I can remember when I was a kid, riding in the family's
Plymouth Fury III from our home in Marion, Ohio to visit family in
Columbus, Lancaster, or Baltimore. It was usually on Saturday
nights that we made the long trek home. There was a radio
station in New Albany that had a radio program called "The
Gospel Ship" with Charlie Shannon as the Skipper! Boy how we
listened to every song and waited for our favorites to play! There
were times when we got to our destination and wouldn't want to
leave the car for fear we would miss that next great song! Some
of my favorites were The Kingsmen, The Happy Goodmans,
Gold City, and Jimmy Swaggart with John Starnes!
As the years flew by I caught the wave in churches that moved
us to contemporary praise and worship by Hosanna, and other
great music publishers. It seemed I loved good music of any
kind! I had started piano lessons several times but gave each
teacher fits! I just wanted to jam! Couldn't someone teach me a
REAL song???
Plymouth Fury III from our home in Marion, Ohio to visit family in
Columbus, Lancaster, or Baltimore. It was usually on Saturday
nights that we made the long trek home. There was a radio
station in New Albany that had a radio program called "The
Gospel Ship" with Charlie Shannon as the Skipper! Boy how we
listened to every song and waited for our favorites to play! There
were times when we got to our destination and wouldn't want to
leave the car for fear we would miss that next great song! Some
of my favorites were The Kingsmen, The Happy Goodmans,
Gold City, and Jimmy Swaggart with John Starnes!
As the years flew by I caught the wave in churches that moved
us to contemporary praise and worship by Hosanna, and other
great music publishers. It seemed I loved good music of any
kind! I had started piano lessons several times but gave each
teacher fits! I just wanted to jam! Couldn't someone teach me a
REAL song???
I remember the first time I tried to sing a solo in church with a sound track. "We will Stand" by Russ Taff. I
really messed it up, and the other teens let me know about it! I was so upset I vowed that I would never sing
again.
Racing forward so many years, I can sum my teens and young adult life up as trying a little bit of everything
with no real direction until I had an encounter with God. I hit bottom and came to the end of my roaming. In my
20's, as the Lord began to rebuild my life, He made it clear that His plans for my life were bigger than me. I
realized that the same God that took me from the pit to the Altar wanted to reach others through me.
It was during these formative years of my walk with God that I rediscovered my love for Christian music. I
found myslef singing and crying with great gospel and praise songs. One day I was brave enough to tell my
mom "I really think I can sing this stuff!" Before you know it she had me in front of the choir director auditioning
for the choir. That would start me in music ministry which had been a dream of mine since my mid teens.
One day in 2006 Dan Ramirez introduced himself and said, "Son, you need to be getting out, beyond the
praise team, to share your gift and your testimony!" That would be the birthing of The Damascus Road Trio.
I spent 2 years singing semi-pro with a group I dearly love, The Bollingers, from 2009 - 2011. I got to do some
things I had only dreamed of, and count it a blessing to have spent time in ministry with Chris and Debbie in
Virginia. In June 2011, my job would transfer me from Bluefield, Virginia to Newark, Ohio. Shortly after we had
decided to come home, Dan invited me to return to DRT. I was thrilled to be back and even more blessed to
get to know Tim and Angie Klinker! I am so excited about the future of DRT, and look forward to years of
making great music to lift the name of Jesus, my Savior!
really messed it up, and the other teens let me know about it! I was so upset I vowed that I would never sing
again.
Racing forward so many years, I can sum my teens and young adult life up as trying a little bit of everything
with no real direction until I had an encounter with God. I hit bottom and came to the end of my roaming. In my
20's, as the Lord began to rebuild my life, He made it clear that His plans for my life were bigger than me. I
realized that the same God that took me from the pit to the Altar wanted to reach others through me.
It was during these formative years of my walk with God that I rediscovered my love for Christian music. I
found myslef singing and crying with great gospel and praise songs. One day I was brave enough to tell my
mom "I really think I can sing this stuff!" Before you know it she had me in front of the choir director auditioning
for the choir. That would start me in music ministry which had been a dream of mine since my mid teens.
One day in 2006 Dan Ramirez introduced himself and said, "Son, you need to be getting out, beyond the
praise team, to share your gift and your testimony!" That would be the birthing of The Damascus Road Trio.
I spent 2 years singing semi-pro with a group I dearly love, The Bollingers, from 2009 - 2011. I got to do some
things I had only dreamed of, and count it a blessing to have spent time in ministry with Chris and Debbie in
Virginia. In June 2011, my job would transfer me from Bluefield, Virginia to Newark, Ohio. Shortly after we had
decided to come home, Dan invited me to return to DRT. I was thrilled to be back and even more blessed to
get to know Tim and Angie Klinker! I am so excited about the future of DRT, and look forward to years of
making great music to lift the name of Jesus, my Savior!