Sterlin “stee” Colvin
On the road to R&B fame
Sterlin Colvin began singing for an audience while most of us were still watching cartoons and working to master “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” At age three, Colvin and his six-year-old sister sang a duet in church, and he knew that being a singer was “it” for him.
The idea was further cemented at the ripe old age of 12, after a chance encounter with actress Debbie Allen of “The Cosby Show” fame. Allen was starring in a play in Atlanta in which Colvin’s uncle was also cast. Backstage, while visiting his thespian relative, Colvin met the renowned actress.
When he told her of his dream to be a vocalist, she was supportive and told him wholeheartedly to “pursue it.” And that’s exactly what Colvin has been doing ever since.
If optimism could be bottled, Colvin could sell his overflow supply from every street corner in the country. In addition to sheer talent, incredible drive and a downright likability, Colvin carries his optimism with him wherever he goes. For him, it’s not a question of “if” he becomes a household name (with a recording deal to match), but when.
He held his first CD “release party” last May and is moving forward, making his way through the maze that is the music industry. As the opening act for Big Boi of OutKast at his recent concert in Savannah, Colvin states that music is his passion. “I love to sing,” he said. “I love expressing myself through music—reinterpreting what you hear to make it your own.”
Colvin comes by his talent naturally, having grown up around music 24/7. His mom is a singer from Memphis who loves the blues; his dad chose to forego a big-stage music career for the jazz clubs and smaller venues that he loves. It’s no wonder that Colvin developed his talent at a very early age.
When asked the proverbial “Have you thought about ‘American Idol?’” question, Colvin says he’s more than thought about it: He’s auditioned in three different cities. But being wise beyond his 21 years, he realizes and readily admits that the music business is a numbers game, knowing that the more doors he knocks on, the greater the chance that one will open. For a talent like Colvin, that chance may be just around the corner.
Colvin’s CD, “Songs About Her,” is available on iTunes, Amazon.com’s MP3 store and all major music download sites.