Country singer/songwriter/producer Keith Stegall was born in Wichita Falls, TX, in 1955 and started playing the piano at age four. He later learned guitar and formed a country band called the Pacesetters at age 12; during his early teen years, he also picked up the drums, started listening to R&B, and joined a rock band. At 15, he moved on to a folk group called the Cheerful Givers, in which he played guitar. After finishing school, he moved to Shreveport, LA, where he sang in a local lounge and also worked as the musical director of a Methodist church. In the meantime, he practiced his songwriting and was encouraged by Kris Kristofferson to try his luck in Nashville.