Creative artist Steve Connell to perform during Class of 2023's Enshrinement Weekend

• Spoken tributes written specifically for each new class member to highlight appearances exclusive to event ticket-holders

Acclaimed creative artist Steve Connell will bring his one-of-a-kind style to Canton this August for a pair of live performances incorporated into events during Enshrinement Weekend.

Connell will appear at the Enshrinees’ Gold Jacket Dinner on Friday, Aug. 4, and again at the Class of 2023’s Enshrinement on Saturday, Aug. 5. At the latter ceremony, he will take the stage at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in conjunction with the enshrinement speech of each of the nine new class members, with original content he has created for each enshrinee. Audience members will see and hear the tributes exclusively; his performances will not be part of the national television broadcast.

“It has been an incredible honor to get to create work for the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” Connell said. “To know I’m going to stand on that stage to deliver tributes to these men – in one of the most significant moments of their life – is one of the most significant moments in mine.”

Defining Connell’s unique talents defies conventional labels. Spoken word artist and poet. Celebrated improv comic. Transformative entertainer and speaker. His live performances have been described as being “as dynamic as the words he delivers.”

Connell has delivered private performances for Norman Lear, President Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, James Cameron and Quincy Jones among many notable people who have witnessed him as part of a live audience. Others have seen his work on broadcast networks ABC, HBO and MTV.
He has performed live at Sundance, TEDMED, Kennedy Center and The White House, among numerous venues. Corporate giants like Sony/Universal, Pioneer, Farmers Insurance Group and Gap Inc. are among the many companies with whom Connell has maintained longstanding collaborations.



Jim Porter, president of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, experienced one of Connell’s performances firsthand and said he knew within the first few lines Connell spoke that attendees of Enshrinement Weekend would enjoy a similar opportunity. He contacted Connell about creating tributes to each member of the Class of 2023, and Connell accepted the invitation.

“I first saw Steve perform in Nashville is 2022, and I was blown away immediately,” Porter said. “His passion for his craft will add depth to the Gold Jacket Dinner and Enshrinement that fans attending those events are going to appreciate in the moment and talk about for a long time.”


Dennis Saunier, president of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, which hosts the Enshrinees’ Gold Jacket Dinner, said Connell “will be sure to captivate the Class of 2023, the 100-plus returning Hall of Famers and an audience of 4,000 at the dinner. His talent and passion in utilizing an intense poetic-style delivery tells the ultimate story of the journey and achievement of reaching the ‘hallowed halls’ in Canton.”

Connell met members of the new class and their families at Super Bowl LVII to begin his research and preparation for the Gold Jacket Dinner and Enshrinement appearances.


His most recent theatrical work “#IMPERFECT” celebrated its world premiere at the Lincoln Center; his high-impact dance theater piece “Transit Space,” created with Diavolo | Architecture in Motion, toured the world in two languages; and he is now in development with his newest show, “Unfinished,” created to impact the upcoming election. 

His critically acclaimed piece “We Are The Lions” has generated more than 10 million views and was performed at the United Nations. His first short film, “the universe is chewing,” co-starring Troian Bellisario, was awarded a 2019 Best Shorts Humanitarian Award.

Connell currently is working in the studio with his band KillThePoets on their debut album. He can be followed on Instagram (@steveconnell) and at SteveConnellCreates.com. 

A small number of tickets for the Enshrinees’ Gold Jacket Dinner and Class of 2023 Enshrinement remain available. Follow the links for more information and to purchase.