Steve Grand

Steve Grand is an American musician and singer-songwriter from Lemont, Illinois. He became an internet celebrity and was acclaimed by many as the first openly gay male country singer to attract mainstream attention in the United States, after the music video of his song "All-American Boy" went viral on YouTube in less than a week in July 2013

Grand wrote music from the time he was 11 years old. By age 13, he realized that he was gay and struggled to reconcile his sexuality with his Catholic faith. He came out to friends while in the eighth grade. After his parents learned of his sexuality, they enrolled him in conversion therapy for five years. Although he eventually decided that the therapy was ineffective, he has expressed gratitude to his psychologist, saying, "I don't want to bash my therapist even though I've come to really believe that homosexuality is not a bad thing, or sinful, and not something that God wants you to rid yourself of, because I still have a lot of respect for him. ... Some of [this therapy] was actually helpful — I was able to talk to someone, he was so compassionate, and he really believed in me. We just ended up having a completely different perspective." Because he has declined to condemn conversion therapy, and also because he has continued to be employed as the music director at his Catholic church, he has drawn criticism from activists who question whether he can be viewed as a positive role model.
After graduating from Lemont High School, Grand attended Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, for one year. He returned to Chicago to enroll at the University of Illinois and later left to pursue his musical career.

Prior to launching his musical career, Grand modeled under the pseudonym Steve Chatham; he was a cover model for Australia's DNA magazine in 2011. He also performed cover songs as Steve Starchild. He played piano at the Joynt in downtown Chicago in 2013. Also in 2013, he made a music video for his song "All-American Boy," producing it at a cost of US$7,000. The video was directed and edited by award-winning Chicago filmmaker Jason Knade. The video was posted on YouTube on July 2, 2013 and immediately went viral. Just eight days later, the video had more than 1,000,000 views.



Although Grand has received mostly positive reaction to the song, some gay activists have criticized its content, with one stating that its message is that "Gay men drink too much, feel sorry for themselves, and come on to straight dudes when their girlfriends aren't around." Writing for Slate, J. Bryan Lowder had an even harsher take on the video, describing it as "woefully out-of-tune with the times. It's like something out of a homo smut story from before Stonewall", and adding "this particular narrative of the tantalizing straight guy and lovesick queen is so hackneyed in gay culture as to be laughable."

Some media have also claimed that Grand is the first openly gay male country singer to exist at all, although this has been disputed. Several gay male country musicians have toured gay bars and other venues for decades, beginning with Patrick Haggerty's band Lavender Country in 1972, and two months before Grand's video hit, The New York Times profiled openly gay singer/songwriter Shane McAnally, who has had charted songs as a vocalist in the past and is currently one of the most successful songwriters in the industry. Other openly gay or bisexual male vocalists who have had successful careers in the country music industry as songwriters or musicians have included Jimbeau Hinson, Drake Jensen, Mark Weigle, Brian Glenn, and Shane Stevens.
On July 18, 2013, Grand made his television debut, performing "All-American Boy" on Windy City Live

 

All American Boy

VERSE 1
Ripped Jeans, only drinks whiskey
I find him by the fire while his girl was getting frisky, ohh
I say we go this road tonight

He smiles, his arms around her
but his eyes are holdin me, just a captive to his wonder, ohh
I say we go this road tonight

PRE-CHORUS
now I know that that's your girl, I mean no disrespect
The way that shirt hugs you chest boy, I just won't forget
I'll be sittin here, drinking my whiskey
I won't say goodnight unless I think ya might miss me, ohh

CHORUS
Be my All-American boy tonight
where everyday's the 4th of July
and it's alright, alright
And we can keep this up till the morning light
and you can hold me deep in your eyes
and it's alright, alright
be my, be my
my All-American boy

VERSE 2
Ripped jeans, tight shirt
he lights a cigarette you know I'm glad that she can't stand it, ohh
I drink the moonlight from his eyes

Now hold there, just a moment
I want to take this in now we don't need no photo of it, no
we should go this road tonight

PRE-CHORUS 2
now I know that that's your girl, and I don't give a damn
she's been cusin and cryin, she don't know what she has
so I'll be sittin here, tryin to hold down my whiskey,
you tell your girl good night cause somebody'd like to kiss me, ohh

CHORUS
Be my All-American boy tonight
where everyday's the 4th of July
and it's alright, alright
And we can keep this up till the morning light
and you can hold me deep in your eyes
and it's alright, alright
be my, be my
my All-American boy

BRIDGE:
Of all the girls and boys to look my way
Ain't nobody ever hit me this way
so won't you come back with me
and lay with me a while

I'm gonna wrestle you out of them clothes,
leave that beautiful body exposed,
and you can have my heart and my soul and my body...
just be mine

GUITAR SOLO

DOWN CHORUS
Be my All-American boy tonight
baby you light my fire
it's gonna be alright, alright!

CHORUS
Be my All-American boy tonight
where everyday's the 4th of July
and it's alright, alright
And we can keep this up till the morning light
and you can hold me deep in your eyes
and it's alright, alright
be my, be my...
just, be my, be my...
my All-American boy

MG!