As a teenager, Lee Fields sang in church in the small North Carolina town where he was raised. He loved the R&B sounds of Otis Redding, Eddie Floyd and particularly James Brown, who was a major influence. In the 1970s he released a series of funk and soul 45s on small obscure labels. Because of these rare recordings, which are highly valued by collectors, Fields is considered a cult artist. Following a slump in the 1980s, the singer got back in the saddle. He gave concerts in the Southern United States and recorded a handful of albums. In 1999, he released Let's Get a Groove On, an old-style funk album. In 2004, he hooked up with Truth & Sound, where he recorded with The Expressions. My World came out in 2009. Faithful Man followed in early 2012.