Robert grew up in Lawton, Oklahoma and was a typical high school metal head from his long hair and black concert shirts to his cheap knock off White flying ‘V’ guitar that his mom bought him at a pawn shop for $99. During the era of glam metal Robert and his friend Michael Greenleaf came up with the incredibly funny idea to have a band where all the members had big blond hair, all wore pink and white and the name of the band would be called "Goldi Rocks!" His flying ‘V’ guitar even has a hint of pink he paint left on it when he was testing out the "right" color of pink. Robert loves this story, because he knows time makes an ass of us all. Unfortunately (well maybe not unfortunately since that band was a horrible concept) he never started that band.
Through a life filled with early death, teen pregnancy, teen marriage, affairs, divorce, instability and heart break, Robert quietly took to writing as his outlet and being that he was so into music and had a short attention span, songwriting fit him the best. Robert has a way to weave his lyrics into an intricate blanket that will take you dizzily traveling through his life experiences, pains, successes, tragedies, loves and lonliness in a way that you yourself will feel you were there with him during that slice of time, holding his hand and feeling his pulse. When he takes the stage, be prepared for a beautiful ride through the whole spectrum of laughter to tears. He is truly an incredibly funny and powerful performer to see. REVIEWS: Robert's songs appeal to me on a variety of levels. At times his approach is highly sentimental; at other times it's very funny. What's more important, though, is the understated honesty that permeates his work, reminiscent of great American songwriters, like John Prine. When you see Robert Steel live, you come to realize that here is a man who, despite the trials he has faced that are detailed in his songs, is a genuine, good man and we can all learn from his music. - Dan Edwards, Electric Mountain Rotten Apple Gang, Austin, TX