Steve McGrew

Country comedian Steve McGrew's take on the lighter side of relationships -- from a definitely male perspective -- helped make him a hard-working mainstay on the national standup circuit by the end of the '90s, as well as one of the most popular comics working Las Vegas. Born in Tulsa, OK, but raised near the Houston area, McGrew began his career at the beginning of the '80s, working as an editorial cartoonist for the Houston Chronicle during the day and performing standup at night; early on, he shared stages with comedians like Bill Hicks and Sam Kinison at Houston's Comedy Workshop club. After about five years, McGrew decided to concentrate on comedy full-time and quickly became a popular attraction around the South. From there he went on to appear on virtually every cable show devoted to standup comedy, including An Evening at the Improv, Caroline's Comedy Hour, Showtime's Full Frontal Comedy, and Comedy on the Road, among others. He also showed up on MTV, VH1, and TNN; as a finalist on Star Search; and on the Bob & Tom morning radio show. Additionally, McGrew opened concerts for several rock and country artists, including Dolly Parton, Tanya Tucker, Wynonna Judd, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Doobie Brothers, and the Beach Boys. As he grew more ambitious, McGrew put together a series of one-man shows -- including a stage piece based on his experiences as a divorced father -- that allowed him to explore different comic territory. McGrew made a string of recordings available on the Laughing Hyena label, and then switched to Uproar for his most widely distributed album to date, 1999's Too Much Man for Just One Woman and Other Lies. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide