Brad Steele never set out to become a YouTube star. In fact, Steele would tell you that it was “almost by accident” that his journey led him to YouTube stardom. If you had told him in early 2020 that his channel would amass over 242,000 subscribers, he might have laughed. But today, his music-focused “reaction” content and passion for entertainment have cultivated a thriving YouTube community, connecting him with fans across the globe.
Born just north of Nashville, Steele grew up surrounded by music. “I’ve been singing my whole life,” he recalled. “I’m pretty sure there are videos of me at 3 years old singing along to cassette tapes in the garage. Some of you will have to ask your parents what cassette tapes are,” he laughed. “So I’ve always been involved with music, whether it be traveling and singing, singing at church, leading worship, College Choir, playing weddings, you name it.”
His early years were spent traveling the country with his family, performing gospel music before his father accepted a pastoral position in Cullman. This move ended up being a turning point, giving Steele a sense of stability. “When we moved to Cullman, I was entering my teen years and trying to figure out who I was,” he explained. “Being able to settle down and make friends and be in one place without having to be gone all the time really helped me develop my interests and to even view music and singing in a whole different way.”
It was these formative years in Cullman that led Steele to the “accident” of his YouTube beginnings. As with many content creators, Steele’s journey on YouTube wasn’t a guaranteed success and he had no idea where it would take him. “It was early 2020, and I was bored in my apartment with nothing to do,” he said. “I thought, ‘Hey, I’ve seen these people do reaction videos to songs and singers on YouTube. I wonder if I do that from a singer’s perspective, will people find it interesting?’ I set up the camera, hit record, and the rest is history.”
What Steele didn’t realize at the time was that his new journey into the world of content creation coincided with a global shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With millions of people confined to their homes, online content consumption soared. For Steele, it was the perfect time to start.
That start quickly turned into a new community that rapidly exploded in growth, something Steele wasn’t prepared for. “I thought this was just a hobby that would die down within a few weeks,” he admitted. “But once people started subscribing, it was a whirlwind. In the early days, I would check the subscriber count every morning and I would just be amazed at how much the channel had grown overnight.”
His original vision, to establish a community centered around music and singing, where people could engage with him and appreciate his passion for all things music, grew. Ultimately, Steele used that community as the foundation to share his own original music with an audience that was already engaged with him.
So where did Steele begin? His very first video was a reaction to a live performance by Whitney Houston. “It was the most awkward thing I’ve ever done in the moment,” he laughed. “I felt almost embarrassed to upload it, but I learned pretty quickly that if someone is going to laugh or judge, sometimes it’s okay just to let them laugh and judge. I didn’t see anyone laughing when YouTube sent me a Silver Play Button, baby!”
However, growth on such a large media platform came with its own challenges. “Honestly, my biggest challenge was being worried about what people would think. I hate even saying that because nowadays I could not care less,” he explained. “But in the early stages, I almost didn’t want anyone to know I had the channel going because I was afraid people would think it was lame.”
Over time, that concern diminished and success covered any hesitancy he had before. His channel began to soar as the subscriber count took off. The moment he realized his channel was truly taking off came in the form of a private message from Scott Hoying of Pentatonix. “He had seen one of my covers and actually knew who I was,” Steele said. “That’s when I thought, ‘Okay, this channel is doing pretty well.’”
While much of his channel growth is built around “reaction” videos – videos where content creators “react” to music, funny videos or other types of content – Steele has always made it clear that he is a musician first. “People love the reaction videos, and while I love doing those, I also want people to know that I am a singer and I have my own music as well,” he shared. “I make sure to start each video with me singing and then at the end of each video I include one of my songs or covers.”
Between being a worship leader at Redeeming Grace Church in Cullman to playing with friends in a local band at various events, Steele’s focus continues to be his music. (Brad Steele)
Beyond music, Steele’s deep faith and relationship with Jesus Christ play a significant role in his life and career. As a worship leader, he finds that YouTube provides a unique opportunity to reach people from all walks of life. “I encounter people from all walks of life on YouTube. Every religion, every nationality, from so many different parts of the world,” he shared. “I meet people who are public in their Christianity like me and others who are adamant in their disbelief. What is cool is that every single one of those people will listen in on a livestream where I’m performing a worship song or an original faith-based song. So, without making it a formal thing, I can minister to all sorts of people and lead worship on YouTube…I think sometimes you can lead worship by being kind to people and sharing a laugh with them and listening as they tell you what is going on in their world.”
With internet fame comes scrutiny, and Steele has had his fair share of critics. When asked about how often he faces critics, he chuckled, “Oh, every day. Some people have constructive criticism that I can appreciate – like when they tell me my intro is too long or my mic is too loud. But then some make it personal. People get mighty brave behind a computer screen.”
With time, he’s learned to ignore the negativity. “After a few years on YouTube, I’ve quite literally become numb to it,” he said. “If I see something that is really over the line, I just delete the comment and move on.”
While music remains his primary focus, Steele has found another passion – sports commentary. A devoted fan of the Tennessee Titans, he began discussing the team on his channel, and the response was overwhelming. This led him to create a second channel, Two Tone Talk, dedicated to football analysis and discussions.
“It’s about to pass 4,000 subscribers, and last summer I actually reached the point where I make money off of it,” he said. “I’d talk about the Titans for free, but the fact that I get paid to? That doesn’t even seem fair! I love doing the sports stuff because after years of doing music content, it’s like having another creative outlet.”
Whether music or sports content, YouTube has provided Steele with numerous opportunities to connect with celebrities and his unique viewers and supporters across the globe. “I got to go backstage and meet the acapella group Voctave and one of their members saw me and said, ‘I can’t believe I’m meeting you…’ and I laughed in his face. Me? I’m freaking out meeting you, dude!” he smiled.
For Steele, those opportunities never get less surreal. “I went to a Titans game in September and people were calling out my name at the concession stand telling me they listen to my podcast every week. That was absolutely wild to me,” Steele laughed. “I had a subscriber from Ireland comment and tell me that they listen to my videos on their morning commute to work because my voice calms them. That kind of stuff I just can’t comprehend.”
From the success to the opportunities to present his faith on his platform to unique fan encounters and achieving the fabled Silver Play Button, an award only given to those who achieve 100,000 followers, Steele said he hopes his content – whether it’s his reaction videos, music or podcasts – leaves people with something positive.
“At the very least, I hope it leaves them with a smile and helps people get their mind off of what may be going on in their life, even if it’s just for a few minutes,” he shared. “When it comes to my faith, though, I mentioned earlier how many different types of people watch and listen to my songs and videos. I always hope that no matter what they believe or where they come from, they can walk away seeing the love of God and the hope of Christ in something I’ve said or done. If they don’t know Him, I hope they see something in me that says, ‘That big guy with the beard has something I want.’
Looking ahead, Steele hopes to continue to grow his podcast channel and release another album. “I released an album in 2017 before all of this YouTube stuff happened, and it was good. But I’d like to do another one,” he said. “My main goal has always been to put my music out there and hope it finds the right person. The best compliment you can get as a singer-songwriter is hearing someone say that your song helped them through a hard time.”
For those looking to break into content creation, Steele has simple advice: “Just stop worrying what everyone is going say or think. If you’re waiting on everyone’s approval before you do something, you’ll never do anything. Just get started. You don’t have to have the biggest and best equipment or the fanciest setup. Just be genuine, be dedicated and use whatever you have.”
With a rapidly growing audience of over 242,000 now, a thriving sports podcast that talks about all things Tennessee Titans and music that continues to reach new listeners, Steele believes his journey is far from over. And if his past success is any indication, the best is yet to come.
