LOS ANGELES — From the moment Tae Lewis first heard country music when he was 13 years old he knew there wasn’t a barrier capable of preventing him from pursuing a career in the musical genre that had immediately captured his heart. 

Lewis, 32, a Goldsboro native and the son of a pastor, sang his first solo, Yolanda Adams’ “The Battle is the Lord’s,” in church when he was just five. He points to artists like Adams, CeCe Winans, and Kirk Franklin as some of his earliest musical influences. 

“My dad is a pastor so I was singing in the church,” Lewis said. “My grandfather, he was a pastor as well. That’s kind of where I got my beginning was really being a preacher’s kid and singing in the church. I sang my first solo when I was five years old. From there I started singing at festivals like the Wayne County Fair. I just kept going from there.”

Lewis and his brother Trae, initially attended Eastern Wayne Elementary School before transferring to Rosewood Elementary. It was while he was a student at Rosewood Middle School that a neighbor introduced Lewis to country music. 

“I got introduced to country music through my neighbors,” Lewis said. “My neighbors were they were listening to country music. They also went to church, but they also listened to country music as well. I went over there to their house because their kids were around the same age as me and my brother. I went over there and started listening to what they were listening to, and I asked them if it was gospel music. It opened up my mindset to something totally different, where I started really branching out and really started learning about the history of country music, as well as learning about the artist that paved the way in country music.”

While Lewis ran track and field and participated in the show choir at Rosewood High School, he also acknowledges that growing up as an African American teenager with a newfound passion for country music came with challenges. 

“Now that I’m older it’s kinda like I’m upset that I wasn’t able to see as much of my race in country music or it wasn’t shown as much,” Lewis said. “I think a lot of it is because of what radio puts in front of us is what we listen to. When you don’t recognize that there’s so many people of color that are in country music, it’s really different. When I told my friends I listened to country music they were like, “are you crazy?’ I will say I had some friends in high school they always told me I could come hang out with them and listen to country music.”

Following high school, Lewis attended UNC Pembroke before ultimately moving to Albany, Tennesee after graduation. Intent on fulfilling his dreams Lewis chose to move to Nashville in hopes of turning his God-given ability into a music career.  

Living in Nashville as a black aspiring country music artist has come with its fair share of adversity for Lewis. He’s juggled multiple part-time jobs to cover his living expenses which also provided the flexibility he needs to pursue his music career. 

“I have a different perspective on it because I wasn’t (in Nashville) whenever the wave (of African American country artists) had started,” Lewis said. “When I got here it was very different I will say that. It was very unique because they welcomed me with open arms but they were also not willing to push the element to help me to get there. They always gave me advice but there was never an element of, ‘Hey, let me push you to the right person who can help you to get there. Now we live in this generation of let me see if you have a big platform before we can hop on to what you’re doing.”

Despite an unsuccessful audition for “Sunday’s Best” and two attempts at “American Idol,” Lewis wasn’t deterred from putting his talents on display in auditioning for this season of NBC’s “The Voice.” Lewis recorded his audition, hit “submit,” and patiently waited. 

Before he knew it, Lewis received a call asking him to fly to California to audition, and shortly thereafter he was singing Keith Urban’s “Somebody Like You,” during the blind audition portion of The Voice. During his performance artists John Legend and Reba McEntire both turned their chairs around giving Lewis their vote of approval. 

Lewis ultimately chose to join Team Reba, meaning McEntire will serve as his coach during his time on the show. 

“I had a little bit of mixed feelings,” Lewis said. “I wanted Dan + Shay, but when they didn’t turn around, Reba was my second option. When Reba turned her chair around it was amazing. “I thought now I know who I’m going to choose at this point. If it wasn’t Dan + Shay it was going to be Reba.” 

As Lewis continues his journey on “The Voice,” and relentlessly pursues his dreams he encourages anyone living in Wayne County with dreams of their own to cling tightly to their passions while always being willing to persevere regardless of what obstacles they face. 

“If you’re called to do it, it’s going to happen,” Lewis said. “I know a lot of times being from a small town, it’s hard. People think I’m never going to get seen. Nobody is ever going to see what I do. But, sometimes you have to take the chance of sacrificing and saying, ‘If I’m called to do it, I’m going to go forth and do it. Never give up, just do it.”

“The Voice” airs at 8 p.m. on Mondays and 9 p.m. on Tuesdays.