You see him every night on Family Feud, teeth gleaming, tailored suit fitting just right, and that quick-fire wit that makes you wonder if he was born with a microphone in his hand. But the polished Hollywood icon we know didn't start out in a studio.
He didn't even start out in a big city.
The Steve Harvey place of birth is actually a tiny, gritty coal-mining town tucked away in the Appalachian Mountains.
Welch, West Virginia: The Real Starting Line
Broderick Stephen Harvey was born on January 17, 1957, in Welch, West Virginia.
Honestly, if you blinked while driving through Welch today, you might miss the quiet history of the place. Back in the late 50s, though, it was a different story. The town was a hub for the coal industry. Steve's father, Jesse Harvey, was a coal miner—a man who spent his days deep underground so his five children could have a life above it.
His mother, Eloise Vera, was a Sunday school teacher.
That mix of hard, manual labor and deep-seated faith is the bedrock of everything Steve Harvey is today. You can still hear the "old school" coal miner’s son in the way he gives advice. It’s blunt. It’s tough. It’s rooted in a world where you worked for every dime.
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Why people get it wrong
A lot of fans think Steve is a "Cleveland boy" through and through.
They aren't entirely wrong, but they're missing the first chapter. While Welch is the official Steve Harvey place of birth, his family packed up and moved to Cleveland, Ohio, when he was still quite young. He grew up on East 112th Street. In fact, that street was later renamed "Steve Harvey Way" in 2015.
It’s easy to see why the confusion happens. Cleveland is where he went to high school (Glenville High, class of '74). It’s where he had his first jobs and where he really cut his teeth. But the DNA of his work ethic? That’s 100% West Virginia coal country.
The Stutter and the Sixth-Grade Teacher
Life in those early years wasn't exactly a comedy special. Steve had a severe stuttering problem.
Imagine being a kid in a tough neighborhood, wanting to be funny, but being unable to get the words out without a struggle. He’s talked openly about how a local deli counterman helped him. The man would give him candy if he could say the name of the treat clearly.
He taught Steve to "talk on the exhale."
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Then there's the famous story about his sixth-grade teacher. She asked the class to write down what they wanted to be when they grew up. Little Steve wrote, "I want to be on TV."
The teacher didn't just disagree; she ridiculed him. She told him to be "realistic" because nobody from their world ended up on television.
Years later, after he actually made it, Steve reportedly sent that teacher a television every Christmas. He didn't do it to be mean. He did it so she’d have to look at his face and remember that "unrealistic" dream every single day.
From the Coal Mines to the "Chitlin' Circuit"
After high school, Steve hopped around. He went to Kent State. He went to West Virginia University (heading back to his home state). He tried boxing. He sold insurance. He carried mail.
Basically, he was a guy in his 20s who was lost.
The turning point finally came in 1985 at Hilarities Comedy Club in Cleveland. He won an amateur night, and that was it. He quit his job the next day.
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But the "overnight success" took another decade.
There was a period where Steve was literally homeless. He lived out of his 1976 Ford Tempo for three years. He’d use a cooler in the backseat as a refrigerator and wash up in gas station bathrooms or swimming pool showers.
When you look at the Steve Harvey place of birth and his upbringing, you realize that a guy who comes from a coal-mining family doesn't quit just because things get hard. He knew how to survive on nothing because his parents had shown him how to make a lot out of a little.
The Welch Connection Today
Does he ever go back?
While he’s a global brand now with homes in Atlanta and Los Angeles, Steve hasn't forgotten the mountains. His philanthropic work through the Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation often focuses on the kind of "underdog" kids he used to be—the ones in forgotten towns who are told their dreams are too big for their zip code.
Actionable Takeaways from Steve’s Journey
- Verify the Source: Don’t assume a celebrity’s "hometown" is where they were born. Always look for the primary birth record (Welch, WV vs. Cleveland, OH).
- Study the "Why": If you're researching a public figure, look at their father's profession. It usually explains their professional "brand" (e.g., Jesse Harvey’s mining background explaining Steve’s "grind" mentality).
- Trace the Migration: Many African American families moved from the South and Appalachia to Midwestern cities like Cleveland during the mid-20th century. Steve’s move is a textbook example of the "Great Migration" patterns that shaped American culture.
If you want to understand the man, don't just watch the show. Look at the coal dust and the Cleveland streets. That's where the real Steve Harvey was built.
Check out the official archives at the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History if you want to see more about the famous figures who share the same rugged mountain roots.