Growing up in Eastern Tennessee, the only music that Levi Kreis’ parents allowed him to play was by “The Three Lees-- Brenda Lee, Jerry Lee and Elvis Pres-Lee”. There on the floor of his living room, little Levi would spin the sanctioned 45s, listening, singing and dreaming. It wasn’t until he banged out "Pomp and Circumstance" on the piano at the age of 6 did his parents realize that their son's love of music was less a carefree enjoyment and more the exercises of a budding prodigy.

Hearing Levi today, it’s easy to spot the musical influence of the Three Lees. Brenda’s unique lyrical styling, Elvis’s tender, yet sexy, soulful voice and if you're blessed enough to catch one of Levi’s lounge performances, you’ll see Jerry Lee’s bad-ass rock-n-roll piano showmanship interwoven with Levi’s own musical identity. The final piece of that identity came as fortuitously as the albums lying on the floor.

As Levi tells it through a southern drawl, and characteristic, endearing tilt of his head, “Granddaddy worked at the post office and one of his best friends was Alice, a beautiful black woman with angel white hair. She would come over with her granddaughter and we’d play together. Once Granddaddy said to Alice, ‘this boy just never stops singing’, …Granddaddy asked if I would like to sing for Alice… I sang for Alice and she said ‘We need to get that boy in church!’”

Taking his living room show to a larger stage, the next weekend Levi was performing at Mount Zion Baptist Church. And from there it began. “I was this toe-headed kid, who took so naturally to the sound of gospel music.” Levi became somewhat of a celebrity while touring, not only performing, but actually preaching as well. His relationship, however, ended with the church when they discovered he was gay.

Nonetheless, Kreis did not allow the religious bigotry to impact his musical journey. Before long he was making serious inroads through a myriad of venues: concerts, cruises, videos and radio. One of those performances was a memorable stage role portraying Jerry Lee Lewis in “Million Dollar Quartet", in Seattle, Washington. Not surprisingly, Levi sent sparks a-flyin' with his critically acclaimed performance. “Playing Jerry Lee is like second nature to me," he claims. "Since I was 12, I was playing, 'Great Balls of Fire'. It was a natural reaction.” The great joy of performing this role was not only in portraying one of his formative “Lees” but also in bringing Levi back to his roots. “Playing Jerry Lee reminded me of where I came from. My roots are squarely back growing up in the church to the R&B soul, with a tinge of country...it's what I do best."

Kreis then arrived in Los Angeles playing Roger in the national tour of the popular musical, "Rent". Being the fresh talent in town, he was courted by 12 major record labels, and that process birthed his exciting new album, "Bygones." The first song on the CD, "Beside You," exemplifies the process. “I was talking to a girl at Columbia Records, who was looking for a theme song for a brand new TV show," Kreis recalls. "My song made it to the final two along with Paula Cole’s "I Don’t Wanna Wait." The show went with Paula Cole, and that was the theme song for "Dawson's Creek.” For Levi, the songs may be a collection of near misses, but for fans it’s a bull's-eye to the heart.

"Bygone's," currently available on I-Tunes, is aptly titled: the collection is soulful and joyful, full of tender longings and sad endings. Think of it as the lingering taste on the lips after a body-tingling kiss. The album showcases a musical signature that lies somewhere nestled between Don Henley and Stevie Wonder. It may be a broad market, but it’s also specifically redolent of the haunted south, with performances longingly beautiful that touch just below the skin. The incredible “Say The Word Goodbye” tells the heartfelt story of a man breaking through to love again, putting pathos and feeling behind the lyrics as only Levi can. Also featured is a personal song of reckoning, “Handcuff My Soul,” about learning how to love honestly.

Catching up with Levi these days is not easy to do. He has, after all, logged over 170 live performances last year. Having corralled him, he will tell you that this album is about closing up the past and moving forward. And what about his sexual orientation? Has being an “out” artist has helped or hurt his career? As if he has never considered the question, finally, he thoughtfully replies, “If it has, it’s done more good for my spirit and that’s all good. There’s no choice. Being 'out' allows me to still do music that touches the soul and spirit. I can only do that when I’m honest."

This lesson has proven to be successful for Levi. The searingly honest lyrics of “I Should Go” tell the story of his falling in love with a straight friend, and became a hit on the soap, “Days of Our Lives." Additionally, Levi’s “Stained Glass Windows” has become the theme song for Del Shores’ “Southern Baptist Sissies" This past year, Levi provided three tracks for the OUTFEST film “Kiss the Bride” starring Tori Spelling.

With this new album Kreis proclaims, “We are about to get a whole hell of a lot of fun!” Fun mixes with fundamentals with this return to the singer's roots. “The church is my strongest influence, and by the church, I mean the sound of gospel in the black church not the Christian rock, like Amy Grant," Levi says. "It always centers around country music and finding that while a lot of my sound is reminiscent, I belong where gospel music became secular like Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, when gospel moved to soul, and from there to R&B."

Levi may indeed be moving to a sound that was born out of the church, because like the allegorical lessons of the Bible, Kreiss' message is one of renewal and love. “I want the new album cover to be me, simply hugging or loving the piano,” Levi says, half jokingly. But the joke becomes deadly serious when it becomes clear that the singer/composer has rediscovered a love affair with something very special.

Ironically, his truth has landed him some of his most successful ventures to date, and there’s so much more to come. Levi’s deeply personal songwriting, coupled with an incredibly beautiful, soulful voice, has clearly made him someone to watch. He has taken all the Lees and produced a distinctive sound all his own. And one day, perhaps another naturally gifted child will be sitting in his or her living room, listening to the 4th famous ”Lee”---- Lee-vi Kreis and discover their own voice.

Because when we all find our own music, we all find a bit of ourselves.