Steve Vaus

Steve Vaus is America’s only Grammy Award winning mayor with a unique musical career spanning over three decades. Prior to being elected mayor of Poway, California, Steve was an active member of the Southern California arts community. In 1985, legendary philanthropist Joan Kroc commissioned Steve to write a song addressing the importance of nuclear disarmament. Steve, along with a chorus of schoolchildren, performed his composition in front of a crowd of 60,000 in Hiroshima, Japan. By 1992 he had signed with RCA Records with his single “We Must Take America Back” hitting number 68 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart. The following year Vaus founded the legendary “Stars Come Out For Christmas.” The annual concert and album series has featured performances by the likes of Aaron Neville, Emmylou Harris, Vanessa Williams and Willie Nelson, to name a few and is still going strong in its 24th year. The next landmark in Steve’s illustrious career was his incarnation of Buck Howdy, an intriguing western based character performing original songs and stories for children. Buck was nominated for 4 Grammys ultimately capturing the Best Spoken Word Album for Children award at the 2010 Grammys. Steve has performed at The Grand Ole Opry, The White House, and won multiple Emmy Awards.