About Steve Harvey

Beginnings

From a young age Steve Harvey knew that he wanted to be on TV. He held fast to his dream, against all odds for a stuttering African American boy in the 1960s. His unrelenting pursuit formed one of Mr. Harvey’s life philosophies: “You have to dream big and believe that you will succeed.”

Steve Harvey was born January 17, 1957, in Welch, West Virginia, as Broderick Stephen Harvey. He is the son of Jesse Harvey, a coal miner, and his wife, Eloise Vera Harvey, a Sunday school teacher. He grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and remains a Cleveland man at heart. Steve’s family didn’t have much, but their lives were full with their faith. Before Mr. Harvey achieved his stardom, he made a promise to God that if he made it, he would thank Him and spread the word. Mr. Harvey honors that promise by thanking God at the end of every show and by sharing his gratitude with the audience.

The Leap

Mr. Harvey’s entry into comedy was a leap of faith. He was encouraged to perform at an open mic comedy night in 1985. Harvey brought down the house, and the next day he quit his job to pursue his dream. As Mr. Harvey says, “You have to jump and take a leap of faith in order to soar.”

The road to success was not an easy one. It left Mr. Harvey homeless, living in his car and traveling the country for performances. In 1990, he won a national comedy competition which led to his big break on Showtime at the Apollo. From that moment on, Mr. Harvey’s career took off.

Today Mr. Harvey remains known as the busiest man in Hollywood. But in addition to his work on TV, radio, stage and screen, Harvey is a dedicated mentor and an inspiring motivator to his fans. “My gift is comedy, but my purpose is to inspire people.” The desire to help others led to the establishment of the Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation, which helps thousands of underprivileged children receive the tools for success. In addition to their own foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Harvey dedicate time and resources to like-minded charities that further their cause.

Steve and Majorie Harvey are devoted to their family of seven children and five grandchildren, Mr. Harvey’s proudest accomplishment.

Career Highlights

Comedy

Harvey began his career doing stand-up comedy in the mid-1980s.

In 1997, he toured as one of the Kings of Comedy alongside Cedric the Entertainer, the late Bernie Mac and D.L. Hughley. The tour’s immediate success led to the taping of one of the most successful comedy specials in history — The Original Kings of Comedy — directed by Spike Lee.

In 2006, Harvey released the popular DVD Don’t Trip…He Ain’t Through With Me Yet. Due to the overwhelming demand, he released another comedy special on DVD in 2008, entitled Steve Harvey: Still Trippin’, to critical acclaim.

On August 2, 2012, Harvey performed his final stand-up act at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, ending a 27-year career as a stand-up comedian. The two-hour performance was broadcast live on Pay-Per-View.

TV

His stand-up success eventually led to an eight-year stint as host of It’s Showtime at the Apollo, as well as to various entertainment roles including acting, hosting, writing and producing. On TV, he starred in ABC’s Me and the Boys, The WB’s The Steve Harvey Show and Steve Harvey’s Big Time Challenge. Harvey hit the big screen in movies such as Love Don’t Cost a Thing, You Got Served, Johnson Family Vacation and Madea Goes to Jail.

From hosting Showtime at the Apollo, Harvey became a household name, and was one of the first African American men to host shows on TV, opening the door for future African American hosts. In addition to Showtime at the Apollo, his hosting career includes The Steve Harvey Show, Family Feud, Celebrity Family Feud, Steve, Little Big Shots, Little Big Shots: Forever Young, Steve Harvey’s Funderdome, Miss Universe, New Year’s Eve with Steve Harvey, NFL Honors and numerous others. Mr. Harvey is one of the only hosts to appear on competing networks at the same time.

Mr. Harvey began hosting Family Feud in 2010. Under Harvey, the show achieved record-high ratings and became the first nationally syndicated TV series ever to increase its ratings for seven consecutive years. Mr. Harvey has surpassed original host Richard Dawson‘s tenure as the longest-serving host in Family Feud history.

In 2015, Harvey began hosting Miss Universe, which propelled his career internationally. In 2017, he also began hosting New Year’s Eve with Steve Harvey live on Fox.

In 2019, Steve Harvey announced that he was moving his eponymous daytime talk show to Facebook Watch. The new show, Steve on Watch, will go live January 2020.

In 2019, Harvey also announced taking Family Feud to Africa. The show is filmed in South Africa and welcomes families from South Africa and Ghana to play. The show began airing in 2020 and has held the highest ratings of any show airing in Africa.

Mr. Harvey is one of the most recognizable and sought-after celebrities in the world. 178,000,000 US viewers welcome Steve Harvey into their homes on a yearly basis—that’s over 55% of the total U.S. population.

FM Radio

Harvey began his radio career in 2000. His show, The Steve Harvey Morning Show, airs on more than 100 radio stations nationally and reaches over six million weekly listeners. The Steve Harvey Morning Show is the most listened to syndicated morning show in America.

Author 

In addition to his wide-ranging accomplishments as an entertainer, Harvey is also a best-selling author.

In 2009, he wrote Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment. A New York Times best-seller, it inspired the 2012 movie Think Like a Man, in which he starred. In 2010, Straight Talk, No Chaser: How to Find, Keep, and Understand a Man was also a New York Times best-seller. Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success: Discovering Your Gift and the Way to Life’s Riches was released in 2014.

During the taping of Family Feud, Mr. Harvey opined about taking risks to realize your dream. His comments were taped and released. To his surprise, the video went viral and led to him penning his New York Times best-seller Jump in 2016.

Harvey is a prolific best-selling author whose books have been translated into 30 languages around the world.

Awards (Partial list) 

Harvey has received accolades throughout his career. He received 14 Daytime Emmy nominations resulting in six Daytime Emmy Awards. Harvey was also nominated for one Primetime Emmy as the host of Little Big Shots. In addition to his Emmys, Mr. Harvey has received 10 NAACP Image Awards and a total of 14 nominations.

In 2014 and again in 2017, he received two Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Game Show Host and Outstanding Talk Show Host. He was the first double-winning host ever.

In 2013, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Awards include: (partial list)

Steve Harvey Global

Harvey’s success has resulted in one of the most prolific brands in Hollywood. In 2017, he launched Steve Harvey Global (SHG), uniting his various businesses under one roof and one vision. Reflective of his personal brand, SHG is focused on creating and delivering entertaining and motivational content, products and experiences to audiences around the world.

SHG is home to East One Twelve, Harvey’s in-house production company which develops and produces content across digital, documentary and feature films, animation, and scripted and unscripted TV. Harvey/East One Twelve executive produced Think Like a Man, Little Big Shots, and Little Big Shots: Forever Young, among others. In an unprecedented move by a host, Harvey obtained the format license for East One Twelve to produce Family Feud internationally, and launched Family Feud Africa in 2020. It not only became the number one game show in both South Africa and Ghana, it became the number one show of any kind.

 

Harvey is renowned for his impeccable style that has evolved over the years, but has always been at the forefront of fashion. To meet the demand of fans wanting access to his style, Harvey launched his first hat line in 2006. Since that time, Steve Harvey Products, the licensing division of SHG, has successfully partnered with top licensees to deliver premium products with style at an affordable price point. Steve Harvey accessories and apparel can be found in department and specialty stores nationwide. Harvey’s passion for grooming is a major focus driving the next launch from Steve Harvey Products.

 

In 2017, Harvey launched the annual Sand and Soul Festival, drawing thousands of people from all over the United States to come for a weekend of music, entertainment, and the opportunity to enjoy a getaway with Steve and Marjorie Harvey. After years of spearheading successful events, Harvey Events was launched to produce and partner with industry-leading event producers to continue creating one-of-a-kind experiences.

 

In 2018, Harvey launched his personal and professional development platform, Vault Empowers, with an inaugural conference in Los Angeles.  A learning hub for future leaders, entrepreneurs, and corporate visionaries, Vault Empowers’ mission is to assist trailblazers in their quest to become their best selves by providing inspiration, critical resources for success, and a network of like-minded people. The annual Vault Empowers conference will rotate host cities. VaultEmpowers.com houses the latest news and information on upcoming events as well as interactive modules for ongoing learning.

 

Harvey Ventures invests in companies and people who are focused on technology, education and entertainment. Harvey is an early adopter of new technologies, educating and influencing his audience. His platform has helped propel many of today’s to-be-watched technology and entertainment companies. As an investor with a global perspective, Harvey Ventures strives to enhance communities and individual lives through its investments and partnerships rooted in a disciplined approach focused on generating results.

 

Mr. Harvey’s personal digital platform is managed in-house at SHG. Its mission is to deliver the best of comedy and inspiration through video, and images from Harvey, and to continually shine light on up-and-coming comedians and other talent, producers, content creators and more.

 

Philanthropy

Harvey is an active humanitarian and philanthropist. He and his wife, Marjorie, founded The Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation in 2010, in order to provide uplifting and educational opportunities for youth. Through the foundation, they have launched several mentoring programs including The Steve Harvey Mentoring Program for Young Men and Girls Who Rule the World. As a partner with Walt Disney World, Harvey has created the annual Disney Dreamers Academy, a program mentoring teenage boys and girls, exposing them to job skills and career opportunities.

The Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation impacts over 3,000 families yearly through mentoring programs, education and financial assistance.