His grandfather was a blues singer who performed under the name Big Daddy Young while his mother and father, Carrie and Dalon Collins, both sang and toured with Kirk Franklin & the Family. Young began writing songs when he was eight years old but didn't start singing until his late teens, by which time he was already an ordained preacher. He eventually taught himself to play keyboards, drums, and guitar and spent most of his spare time making home demos of his songs, a process that familiarized him with the recording process. He also sang and toured with the Family and took the lead vocal on "Let My People Go" as part of Franklin's contribution to the 1998 Prince of Egypt soundtrack. Dalon Collins gave one of his son's home demos to Wayman Tisdale, who just happened to be Young's great uncle, and Tisdale, recognizing Young's talent, which included a singing voice that could range from a raspy tenor to a sexy, high falsetto, promptly signed him to a production deal. He also passed the demo on to Steve McKeever, the head of Hidden Beach Records, who was also impressed with the young singer and signed him up as well. Young's debut album, The Rise and Fall of Keite Young, appeared from Hidden Beach in 2007 and exhibited a versatile touch, mixing soul, funk, R&B, and a touch of gospel into a promising contemporary neo-soul stew. ~ Steve Leggett