Rising Stars: Meet Crystal Lewis

Today we’d like to introduce you to Crystal Lewis. 

Hi Crystal, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I began singing as a little girl, 5 or 6 years old, in my dad’s church. My mother was an extraordinary pianist, and she accompanied me. In High School I joined a Rock-A-Billy band, we were offered a recording contract and after 2 years I recorded my first solo album in 1987. I joined the original cast of the Nickelodeon TV show ROUNDHOUSE in 1992 and stayed on the show for 1 season. I continued to write, record, and perform over the years having recorded over 20 albums to date! A couple of highlights include: performing Lean On me on the Live Grammy telecast in 1998 with Kirk Franklin, Mary J Blige, and Bono which we all recorded together; My album FEARLESS being nominated for a Grammy in 2000; recording my 2019 album RHAPSODY at Capitol Records and recording my song She Was Here (from my 2022 release Together We Can) with Tori Kelly. It’s been and continues to be, a beautiful journey, and I’m so grateful for all the challenges AND the wins! 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have definitely been many steep hills and obstacles that I’ve had to navigate my way around. I’ve always said that as an independent artist you have to work twice as hard to get half as much. The music industry requires that you exercise your hustle muscle regularly! Finding a balance between creating for the love and joy of it and creating for the sake of content is a full-time job. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a singer… and though my voice is my instrument, I consider myself a musician as well. In addition, I’m a songwriter. I love pulling ideas from life and love and telling personal stories through song that resonate in the hearts of others. 

What do you like and dislike about the city?
I grew up in the city of Anaheim… think Disneyland and Gwen Stefani:) I moved away for several years to Montana, but I’ve recently returned. Orange County is centrally located to LA, Palm Springs, San Diego, and the Mountains. I live near great restaurants and vintage stores, near family and friends. The downside… is traffic. But I don’t think there’s any escaping that, no matter where you live! 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.crystallewis.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecrystallewis/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecrystallewis/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/officialcrystallewis/videos

Image Credits
Jeremy Ryan