Levi Sims

It all started simple enough, with Levi’s elementary school music teacher in Anacoco, Louisiana discovering his talent for singing at 7 years of age. Says Levi, “I remember my music teacher, Audrey Jones, asking me to sing in the school talent show. I sang ‘Country Roads’ and won , and really got excited when people applauded. I knew I wanted to do more of that.“ Levi continued to sing at school functions, which led to performing at local events all over the Louisiana, Mississippi, and Eastern Texas region over the next few years. It was during this time that he caught the ear of Johnny High, the owner of “Johnny High’s Country Music Review”, a prestigious Saturday night show in Ft. Worth, Texas that showcased the best regional country music entertainers. He was only 9 years of age when he made his debut there. “I was on the stage there in front of 3,000 people and loving every minute of it; singing in front of a great band, getting the response from a crowd that size, all of it was just a feeling like no other. It was then that I pretty much knew that this was what I want to do with my life,” recalls Levi. After performing there once a month for two years, then 11, he was awarded the honor of “Best Act Under 16” in 1990 at the annual awards show. It was also during this year that Levi received a call to be on the most popular television talent contest of the time, Ed Mcmahon’s Star Search. He made two appearances on the show and won his first with a perfect 4-star score! “Being on Star Search opened some doors for me and I was hired for the summer to perform 5 nights a week in a place called the Raintree Restaurant in Branson, Missouri. My mom and I moved there until school started again, so that was a nice summer vacation for me!”, says Levi. But it turned out to be more than just a fun break, when legendary country entertainer Mel Tillis happened to be in the restaurant during one of his performances. “Mel invited me to appear as a guest on his nightly show in Branson. It really was amazing getting to sing in front of his huge band, The Statesiders. I was in heaven.” It didn’t end with just one performance, though. After guesting another time, Levi was invited to join Mel’s show for the 1992 season , where he was a featured singer. With the support of his mother, they took up residence in Branson. Following his time on The Mel Tillis Show, he performed for two years with a group of other young musicians in a show called “Young Branson.” In addition to their regular Branson show, this talented youthful band also opened for Steve Wariner, Shenendoah, and the Oak Ridge Boys. It was here that he developed as a musician playing guitar and fiddle on stage. By then a voice change was taking place, so Levi let his voice mature for a time.At 16 years old, the move was made to Nashville and he began working on another facet of his career as an artist, songwriting. “Being in Nashville really helped to tune in to something that I didn’t know I could do until I came here and developed friendships with some great writers”, he says. He worked on his music tirelessly for three years and had the usual hard knocks that are so common in the music business, with each one being a learning experience. Levi then decided to take a hiatus and attended college, earning his degree in radiology. During this time he kept developing as a songwriter, vocalist, and musician and now has more passion than ever for his music. “Taking that time for my education has been an invaluable experience and gave me a lot of growth”, he reflects. “Now I have a different way of seeing a lot of things, and I’ll always be determined to make music my career, but most importantly I want to enjoy it along the way because that’s what it’s all about.”Levi is currently excited to be a part of a trio called "NightBird" along with Ryan Mims and Penny Dale.