STEVE GRAND BREAKS INTO KICKSTARTER TOP 10

Gay country singer Steve Grand’s fan campaign to fund his début album has been more successful than he could ever have anticipated.

The campaign has become one of the top 10 most funded music projects in Kickstarter’s history – and counting. This milestone was reached on March 6, just 9 days after launching the campaign

Just 17 hours after the February 26 launch, fans burst through Grand’s initial $81,000 goal.

Within 24 hours, the project had been shared roughly 9,000 times on Facebook, and more than 1,600 individuals had stepped up to fund his dream.

Now, with 16 days to go, more than 2,800 fans have pledged over $194,000.

“I am blown away by what my fans are doing,” Grand said. “This is no longer just an album. It’s a grass-roots movement. Most of the contributions are from gifts of $10, $15 or $25. My fans aren’t satisfied with giving just enough to get this record produced.

“They seem determined to put this album on the playing field with artists who are backed by major labels. Their message is clear: ‘The sky is the limit. Let’s see how far we can go!’ Every dollar now means we can market and promote this album to an even wider audience – and make our voices heard on an international scale,” said the singer.

Grand, who was also an underwear model, was rejected by the music industry because of his overtly gay lyrics and was forced to self-produce his music, initially recording vocals in his parents’ basement.

The impressive self-financed video for his soulful début single All-American Boy exploded on the internet in July last year and made him an overnight sensation around the world.

Grand, however, disappointed his South African fans and angered local promoters in November last year when he cancelled his planned South African shows at the last minute, citing the need to focus on recording his first album.

Watch his latest music video for Back to California, below.

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