Stevvi Alexander

Stephanie "Stevvi" Alexander is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and actress. She has recently appeared in Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour by Cirque du Soleil and received props for her performance from Marlene Hall at the Huffington Post.
She has recorded with Incubus, Macy Gray, Colbie Caillat, Mike Posner, Gin Wigmore, the UK band Hard-Fi and The Damned Things (a super group including members from Anthrax (American band) and Fall Out Boy) and toured the world with artists ranging from Sheryl Crow, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, The Roots, Gwen Stefani and Diana Ross.
Stevvi had a recurring role on David E. Kelley's television show The Wedding Bells playing a wedding singer performing both on-screen and recording the music off-screen. She has also appeared in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man as part of Macy Gray's band and in Garry Marshall's film New Year's Eve playing alongside Leah Michelle and Lucy Woodward as a backing singer for Jon Bon Jovi. Recently Stevvi was also featured in 20 Feet from Stardom, a documentary film which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2013, about acclaimed background singers produced by Morgan Neville, and Gil Friesen of Tremolo Productions.
She has contracted singers for projects and artists including “Hope for Haiti Now”, The Roots, Foster the People, Michael Bublé, M.I.A. (singer) and Danger Mouse. Since 2010, she has been go-to singer and vocal contractor for The Jimmy Fallon Show and she can also be heard on commercials for Mercedes Benz and Lowe’s among others. She released a personal collection of songs in early 2008 called "The East Side Psalmbook" which features Raphael Saadiq guesting on bass.

Childhood

Stevvi comes from a mixed parentage. Her mother is of English, French and German descent and her father is African-American. Both are pastors. Her father is a Pentecostal Bishop and her mother co-pastors their church, Shield of Faith, located in Pomona, California, the parent church to an international roster of churches in states around the US and in countries like Belgium, Fiji and Korea. The church is active in building up the local and international community through housing programs and missions.

Family

She has a son, Eric Alexander-Hughes, by film producer and director Allen Hughes of the Hughes Brothers.

Education

Alexander received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She went on to further her education at New York University where she graduated in 2007 with an MA in Music Therapy. While pursuing her graduate degree, Alexander worked in the Creative Arts Community Program blending art, music, drama and dance together to work with youth therapeutically.

Social involvement/music therapy

Stevvi has acted as a volunteer facilitator with the Community Social Outreach Workshops with Cirque du Soliel and utilizes her education and title as a board-certified music therapist to work with teens-in crisis and children with developmental delays.

Stevvi has released an independent album, "The East Side Psalmbook" and is part of the songwriting/production team Band Kamp. Band Kamp has had placements on the UK Television programs Dinner Date and What Katie Did Next as well as US Television productions Basketball Wives, The Sing-Off, The Bachelorette and Mega March Madness. She started her career when she signed to Columbia Records with the group Saraparker under the tutelage of Sam Sapp. She worked closely with the LA based trio Star69 which featured Dawn Beckman (formerly of the Jazzyfatnastees) and Sy Smith (not to be confused with the similarly-named Los Angeles band "Star 69" featuring Julie Daniels.)

The East Side Psalmbook is a contemporary Christian album released in 2008 and was awarded Song of the Year for "You're the Source" at the 2009 CIA Summit in Nashville. The album features Raphael Saadiq on bass. Raphael said of the album, “This album is great for many markets and listeners. Stevvi has managed to bring to her music a soulful twist of both gospel and folk, delivering a very inspirational feeling. I wish more people would take the time to put into words, what they truly believe and feel, like Stevvi has. I love it.”

The album was produced by the duo Hollins Steele (Dayna Hollins and Benny Steele), at The Steele Factory recording studios in Brooklyn, New York.

• "The East Side Psalmbook"
• 88-Keys
• Incubus, "Morning View"
• Macy Gray, "The ID"
• Mike Posner, "31 Minutes to Takeoff"
• Gin Wigmore, "Gravel and Wine"
• Hard Fi, "Killer Sounds"
• The Damned Things, "Ironiclast"
• Colbie Caillat, "Christmas in the Sand""

Stevvi has been a backing vocalist on many tours since the late 1990s. Sheryl Crow has said of her, “I love Stephanie Alexander’s singing! But most of all, I love her spirit. The two go hand and hand to me. Inseparable! When I first worked with Steph, I immediately could tell she could hear parts and blend with the best of them. But, just recently, I heard her solo record and could hear that she is a great solo singer herself...and, a wonderful writer! I am a fan!”