Steve Dorff

Last updated

Steve Dorff
Birth nameStephen Hartley Dorff
Born (1949-04-21) April 21, 1949 (age 75) [1]
OriginNew York City, U.S.
Genres Country
Occupation(s)Songwriter
Years active1980s–present
Website stevedorff.com

Stephen Hartley Dorff (born April 21, 1949) is an American songwriter and composer whose work is mainly in the field of country music.

Contents

Career

Dorff has written several songs for other artists, including "Hypnotize the Moon" and "My Heart Will Never Know" for Clay Walker, "The Man in Love with You" and "I Cross My Heart" by George Strait, "Don't Underestimate My Love for You" by Lee Greenwood, "Every Which Way but Loose" by Eddie Rabbitt and "Through the Years" by Kenny Rogers. He also composed the themes for Spenser: For Hire , Murphy Brown , The Singing Bee , Just the Ten of Us and others. [2] [3]

In addition, Dorff was a co-writer of the song "I Just Fall in Love Again" with composers Larry Herbstritt, Harry Lloyd, and Gloria Sklerov. "I Just Fall in Love Again", originally recorded by The Carpenters but not released as a single, became a major pop hit for Anne Murray, peaking at #12 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1979. Steve Dorff also wrote the music score for the song "As Long As We Got Each Other" from the popular family TV sitcom Growing Pains , with John Bettis writing the lyrics. [4] He collaborated with Bettis again on Josephine, a musical about singer Josephine Baker. [5]

Dorff was the music supervisor for Pure Country (1992) and Pure Country 2: The Gift (2010). [6] Since 2009, he has been the bandleader on the CMT revival of The Singing Bee , for which he also composed the theme music. [7]

Dorff has been nominated for three Grammy Awards and five Emmy Awards. [6] He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018. [8]

Personal life and family

Dorff is the father of actor Stephen Dorff [9] and songwriter Andrew Dorff, [10] who died at age 40 on December 19, 2016. [11]

Filmography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barry Gibb</span> British-American musician (born 1946)

Sir Barry Alan Crompton Gibb is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. Along with his younger brothers, Robin and Maurice, he rose to worldwide fame as a member of the Bee Gees, one of the most commercially successful groups in the history of popular music. Gibb is well known for his wide vocal range including a far-reaching high-pitched falsetto. Gibb's career has spanned over 60 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Strait</span> American country music singer (born 1952)

George Harvey Strait Sr. is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and music producer. Strait is credited for pioneering the neotraditional country style in the 1980s, famed for his authentic cowboy image and roots-oriented sound at a time when the Nashville music industry was dominated by country pop crossover acts. Given his influence on the genre, Strait has been named the "King of Country Music" by writers and music critics. Strait currently holds the record for most number one songs on all charts by an artist, in any genre of music."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Prine</span> American singer-songwriter (1946–2020)

John Edward Prine was an American singer-songwriter of country-folk music. Widely cited as one of the most influential songwriters of his generation, Prine was known for his signature blend of humorous lyrics about love, life, and current events, as well as serious songs about melancholy tales from his life. His songs would often have elements of social commentary and satire. He was active as a composer, recording artist, live performer, and occasional actor from the early 1970s until his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nanci Griffith</span> American singer-songwriter (1953–2021)

Nanci Caroline Griffith was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. She appeared many times on the PBS music program Austin City Limits starting in 1985. In 1994 she won a Grammy Award for the album Other Voices, Other Rooms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Miller</span> American country musician (1936–1992)

Roger Dean Miller Sr. was an American singer-songwriter, widely known for his honky-tonk-influenced novelty songs and his chart-topping country hits "King of the Road", "Dang Me", and "England Swings".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Dorff</span> American actor

Stephen Hartley Dorff Jr. is an American actor. Starting his film career as a child appearing in the cult horror film The Gate (1987), Dorff first rose to prominence playing Stuart Sutcliffe in Backbeat (1994) and then gained further mainstream attention for portraying Deacon Frost in Blade (1998). Other notable lead roles include Bob Rafelson's Blood and Wine (1997), the titular character in John Waters' Cecil B. DeMented (2000) and Johnny Marco in Sofia Coppola's Somewhere (2010), as well as Britney Spears’ boyfriend in her 2004 music video for "Everytime".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lonestar</span> American country music group

Lonestar is an American country music group from Texas. The group consists of Drew Womack, Michael Britt, Dean Sams, and Keech Rainwater (drums). Britt, Sams, and Rainwater co-founded the band in 1992 with original lead vocalist Richie McDonald and bass guitarist/vocalist John Rich. Rich exited the band in 1998 and went on to join Big Kenny as one-half of the duo Big & Rich. Since his departure, Lonestar has relied alternatingly on session and touring musicians for bass guitar accompaniment. McDonald exited the band in 2007 to record as a solo artist, and was replaced by former McAlyster vocalist Cody Collins before returning in 2011. McDonald left a second time in 2021 to join The Frontmen, with former Sons of the Desert lead vocalist Drew Womack replacing him.

<i>Pure Country</i> (soundtrack) 1992 soundtrack album by George Strait

Pure Country is the soundtrack album to the 1992 film of the same name by American country music singer George Strait. The film stars Strait as fictional country singer Dusty Chandler, and the album consists mostly of songs sung by Dusty in the film. The Pure Country soundtrack is Strait's first soundtrack album. It was released in 1992 by MCA Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allison Moorer</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1972)

Allison Moorer is an American country singer-songwriter. She signed with MCA Nashville in 1997 and made her debut on the U.S. Billboard Country Chart with the release of her debut single, "A Soft Place to Fall", which she co-wrote with Gwil Owen. The song was featured in Robert Redford's The Horse Whisperer and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1999. Moorer performed at the Oscars ceremony the same year. She has made ten albums and her songs have been recorded by Trisha Yearwood, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Steve Earle, and Hayes Carll.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Ducas (singer)</span> American musician

George Ducas is an American country music singer and songwriter, and musician, known for his pioneering neo-traditional blend of modern-day and roots country music. He has released four studio albums: 1994's George Ducas, 1997's Where I Stand, 2013's 4340 and 2019's Yellow Rose Motel. His first two albums charted six consecutive singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, the highest being his signature hit "Lipstick Promises" which reached No. 9 and was also a No. 1 CMT video. Ducas returned to the No. 1 spot on CMT with his 2019 single "Eastwood."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny Sheridan</span> American songwriter

Danny Sheridan was an American musician, songwriter, producer, actor, and entertainment manager. In 2006 he also became a radio personality on 97.1 KLSX Free FM. He is credited as an influential electric bass player, and as the founder of the Eli Radish Band, pioneers of the so-called outlaw country music genre. This is a style that Sheridan's former band-mate/vocalist David Allan Coe continues to perform today, with a string of hit songs like "Would You Lay with Me " and the anti-boss tune, "Take This Job And Shove It". Still in his teens, Sheridan's Eli Radish toured with such notable acts as The Who and The Doors. The lyrics of Coe's "Longhaired Redneck" forever memorialized the concerts he performed with Sheridan while fronting the Eli Radish Band. In 2014 Sheridan began managing Coe and co-produced his new CD "Just As I Am", with Boris Menart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeffrey Steele</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1961)

Jeffrey LeVasseur, known as Jeffrey Steele, is an American country music singer and songwriter. Along with recording his own material, Steele has become a prolific Nashville songwriter, having co-written more than 60 hit songs for such artists as Montgomery Gentry, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, LeAnn Rimes, Rascal Flatts, Billy Ray Cyrus, and others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Bettis</span> American lyricist (born 1946)

John Gregory Bettis is an American lyricist, best known for his long-term songwriting partnership with Richard Carpenter of The Carpenters. He wrote the lyrics for "Top of the World", a hit for both Lynn Anderson and The Carpenters. He wrote several more hits for The Carpenters, including "Only Yesterday", "Goodbye to Love" and "Yesterday Once More". He later wrote hits for other artists including Madonna, Michael Jackson, The Pointer Sisters, Conway Twitty, Diana Ross, Jennifer Warnes, Peabo Bryson, George Strait ("Heartland"), Juice Newton, Ronnie Milsap, Barbara Mandrell, 38 Special, New Kids on the Block, Donna Summer, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joey + Rory</span> American country and bluegrass duo

Joey + Rory was an American country and bluegrass duo composed of singer-songwriters Rory Feek and Joey Feek, who were husband and wife. Both members of the duo were vocalists and songwriters, with Rory also playing acoustic guitar. Rory Lee Feek had written singles for other artists prior to the duo's foundation. The duo was the third-place finalist on CMT's competition Can You Duet in 2008. The duo recorded eight studio albums for Vanguard Records and Gaither Music Group and charted three singles on Hot Country Songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Cross My Heart</span> Country song

"I Cross My Heart" is a song written by Steve Dorff and Eric Kaz, and recorded by American country music artist George Strait. It was released in September 1992 as the first single to his album Pure Country, which is also the soundtrack to the movie of the same title. It reached number-one in both the United States and Canada. The song is featured as the movie's finale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colt Ford</span> American singer-songwriter

Jason Farris Brown known professionally as Colt Ford, is an American country rap musician, songwriter, entrepreneur, and former professional golfer. He is also the co-founder of record label Average Joes Entertainment. Ford has released seven albums through Average Joes and has charted multiple singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts. In addition, he co-wrote "Dirt Road Anthem" for Jason Aldean, "Country Must Be Country Wide" for Brantley Gilbert, and "Mind on You" for George Birge.

Elisabeth Wagner, known professionally as Liz Rose, is an American country music songwriter, best known for her work with Taylor Swift. She has co-written 17 of Swift's officially released songs, including "You Belong with Me", which was nominated for the Grammy Award for Song of the Year; "Teardrops on My Guitar"; "White Horse", which won both Swift and her a Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 2010; and "All Too Well ", which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2021 and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 2023. She works regularly alongside songwriters Lori McKenna and Hillary Lindsey, collectively calling themselves The Love Junkies and notably writing songs for Little Big Town and Carrie Underwood, among others.

"Blue" is a song released in 1958 by Bill Mack, an American songwriter-country artist and country radio disc jockey. It has since been covered by several artists, in particular by country singer LeAnn Rimes, whose 1996 version became a hit. The song won Mack the 1996 Grammy Award for Best Country Song, a 1996 Academy of Country Music Award for Song of the Year, a 1997 Country Music Association Awards nomination for Song of the Year, a 1997 Country Radio Music Awards nomination for Song of the Year, and is included on the CMT list of the top 100 country songs of all time. Rimes' rendition won the 1996 Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JB and the Moonshine Band</span> American country music group

JB and the Moonshine Band is an American Texas country group from East Texas composed of JB Patterson, Gabe Guevara, Hayden McMullen and Chris Flores. In 2010, they signed to Colt Ford's record label, Average Joe's Entertainment. Their 2012 album Beer for Breakfast charted on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.

References

  1. Riggs, Thomas (1994). Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television. Cengage Gale. pp. 91–94. ISBN   978-0-7876-9047-2 via Google Books.
  2. "Steve Dorff biography". SteveDorff.com. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
  3. "Hit Songwriter Bios: Steve Dorff". durango-songwriters-expo.com. Durango Songwriters Expo. Retrieved October 3, 2010.
  4. Cronin, Brian (February 23, 2020). "Who Actually Wrote the Growing Pains Theme Song?". CBR.com. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  5. Clement, Olivia (May 11, 2016). "The Verdict: What Do Critics Think of Josephine?". Playbill.com. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  6. 1 2 Craig Harris. "Steve Dorff biography". Allmusic . Retrieved October 3, 2010.
  7. "Meet the Musicians". CMT.com. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
  8. "Songwriters Hall of Fame Announces 2018 Inductees". songhall.org. Songwriters Hall of Fame.
  9. "Stephen Dorff". FilmReference.com. Retrieved June 1, 2012.
  10. "Andrew Dorff". blacklabelbooking.com.
  11. Nicholas Hautman (December 20, 2016). "Andrew Dorff Dead: Stephen Dorff's Brother and Country Songwriter Dies at 40". Us Weekly . Retrieved June 11, 2024.