MILLAA Millaa was ‘graced’ with a special community event when the ‘Beatles equivalent’ of the country gospel singing world, Steve Grace came to Millaa Millaa for a free concert as part of his Steve Grace 2014 Shed Night Tour.
The night was generously sponsored by the Millaa Millaa Christian Fellowship and attracted people from as far away as Adelaide, Cairns and Innisfail, as well as a very strong showing of locals.
They had all come to experience Steve Grace’s incredible gift of inspiring others through his songs.
Australia’s biggest selling country music performer, Slim Dusty, honoured Steve by recording his song “Port Augusta” on his 100th album “Looking Forward, Looking Back”.
Steve is ‘the genuine Australian article’ and has recently spent a year in the USA recording and performing.
Twenty years ago he was driving trucks and singing in bars.
Today Steve Grace is an exciting and vibrant Australian gospel artist with fourteen albums and a million miles of concert tours behind him.
In 1996, the Gospel Music Association of America voted Steve as the ‘International Artist of the Year’ and the Australian Radio Industry has awarded him two ‘Pater Awards’ for songwriting.
He has pioneered a concert touring ministry throughout Australia.
Steve has taken his contemporary message of hope and faith to hundreds of cities as well as to the smallest of remote townships.
Steve Grace is a country man at heart who loves to visit and encourage people in small country towns.
“No place is too small for me to visit,” he said.
Steve and his wife Kerry were welcomed into the town of Millaa Millaa by posters that were put outside of the Millaa Millaa RSL Hall where Steve performed.
With a terrific, easy-going personality which is both entertaining and humorous, Steve performed songs while sometimes playing both the guitar and the harmonica.
During the night, before performing one of his songs, Steve invited the children to come up and join him singing.
One of the highlights of the concert was when Bella Rose Poulos, who was just three years old, took up Steve’s offer much to the delight of the audience.
Bella put in such a fantastic solo performance that Steve joked, “We all went to a Bella Poulos concert with special guest Steve Grace!”
Steve loves going bush and told the audience stories about his life experiences.
One of the songs that he performed told of the time when he was stuck out in the Tanami desert. He wrote the song when he was stranded there.
Echoing the words of one of his songs, Steve thanks God for Australian country towns which have the special kind of people that he likes to be around.
After the concert concluded, audience members were invited to sit on Steve’s bike with him and were able to photograph each other.
“I went with my three sons and we all loved the way families came together for some fun family sing-alongs. We all enjoyed Steve, who’s a country boy and loved the evening. We hope to see more concerts in Millaa Millaa,” said concertgoer Clare Pemberton.
Around $2000 was raised for North Queensland Drought Relief on the night due to the tremendous efforts of the Millaa Millaa Lions Club. This also included a terrific Millaa Millaa community contribution with ‘a hat being passed around’ for donations which raised a very substantial amount.
Steve said that all drought relief proceeds were going to “‘families on the land that are doing it tough” and also donated the first $100 of CD sales on the night to the drought relief effort as well.
