Crystal Lewis
Fiercely independent, self-assured and secure in her artistry, Crystal Lewis is a rare talent. She knows exactly what she wants and how to achieve it--in a positive way. A Christian recording artist who has followed a unique path to attain success, Lewis listens to her heart in all things. In the past that’s meant establishing her own record label, cutting six albums in Spanish, and releasing her 2000 CD, Fearless (Metro 1), which garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Contemporary Gospel Album.
Never one to rest on her laurels, Crystal Lewis now releases More. More than a ‘best of’ cd, More is a look into the last 5 years of Crystal’s career, combining 11 of her best loved songs with remakes of ‘I Now Live” and “Shine, Jesus Shine,” and 3 brand new songs. A separate DVD included in the packaging features a documentary on the recording of the project, all of Crystal’s past videos and stereo 5.1 surround sound mixes of the new tracks.
“With life comes change and growth, spiritually, musically and creatively. The 3 new songs on More represent some of those changes,” states Lewis. One of the more interesting parts of the package is the video for the title track. Filmed by acclaimed director Darren Doane (Blink 182, Pennywise, Audio A), Crystal got the opportunity to test her acting skills. “It’s filmed to look like the trailer to a blockbuster summer film, so it’s basically action sequences and live performance--and I got to beat up my band! It was definitely the fulfillment of many childhood dreams. I always wanted to be the superhero.
Crystal continues, “I am also truly enjoying the creative, musical and spiritual input and insight for the four members of my band who contributed their remarkable talents to this project. It was our first time to record together--but it won’t be the last!” The project once again features the programming skills of Jyro Xhan from Mortal and Fold Zandura. Xhan played the keyboards and did all the programming on Fearless as well. Also in the band are drummer Frank Lenz from Fold Zandura and Cush, bass player Eli Thomson from the band Passage and guitars by Shawn Tubbs, who is probably best known for the Violet Burning. “My band rocks.”
Forging uncharted territory is hardly new for Crystal Lewis. Born and raised in Orange County, California, Lewis began singing at four in her father’s church. Her mother, an accomplished musician, was a huge, albeit indirect, influence on Crystal, as were R&B and blues artists like Mahalia Jackson, Billie Holiday, and Aretha Franklin.
At 15, she earned her first professional gig in the stage musical, Hi-Tops. At age 16, she joined the rockabilly combo, Wild Blue Yonder which recorded only one album but did lead to a meeting with future husband Brian Ray. In 1987, she released her debut album, Beyond the Charade, which combined her love of R&B with her strong Christian roots. Other albums quickly followed, and in 1991, she recorded the first of six Spanish albums, opening up new audiences in both the United States and Latin America.
In 1992, Crystal and husband Brian decided to continue their base of operations in Orange County and formed their own label, Metro 1, now distributed by Word Records. “We kind of felt like we were under someone’s thumb when we were on other labels,” Crystal says. “We wanted to branch out. Since we’re not in Nashville, like most of the Christian music scene, we’re able to maintain our independence. It’s beneficial in many ways.” Also in 1992, Lewis participated in the pilot and subsequent 1st season of the Nickelodeon show Roundhouse. But as the new label took off, she decided to steer back toward pursuing the music career full time.
Through a mutual contact, in 1998, Kirk Franklin invited Crystal to sing on his chart -crossing hit, “Lean On Me”, along with Bono, R.Kelly and Mary J. Blige. It brought her new recognition, including a 1999 Grammy nomination for Best R&B Group Performance, as well as a performance on the 41st Annual Grammy Awards. Since then, Lewis has continued to blaze a trail. Her 2000 Christmas album, Holiday, found Crystal working with the award-winning Peter Erskine Trio to record jazz interpretations of holiday favorites. She also appeared on the Child of the Promise tour, a Broadway musical-style rendition of the Christmas story, based on the album of the same name. Crystal portrayed Mary opposite Steven Curtis Chapman’s Joseph. She recently worked again with Franklin, recording his song “Someday” (which he produced) for the film, Kingdom Come starring Whoopi Goldberg.
For 2002, she hopes to record another hymns record as a tribute to the beloved songs of her childhood. In between, she and Brian are singing artists to Metro 1, including hard rock band Travail and rap groups Priesthood. This Christmas also brings several tour-dates performing the songs from her Holiday project. And, of course, she’s busy raising her two children, Solomon, 7, and Isabella, 5. “I love being independent,” Crystal says. “I like pushing the envelope. I’ve never felt comfortable in a mold. It’s too tight--too confined.” And her fans have learned to expect and appreciate the unexpected from Crystal Lewis. |
