‘The Voice’ Contestant Tje Austin Discusses Unusual Upbringing, Previous Albums

Tje Austin is aiming to turn his unusual name into one to remember. His performance of the Bruno Mars hit 'Just the Way You Are' during his audition on 'The Voice' should go a long way to making him a star.

The 27-year-old singer-songwriter, whose first name is pronounced 'Tye,' has already released two full-length albums, with a third one on the way this year. His first disc, 'Love Me Knots,' dropped in 2008, followed by 'Xperience' in 2010. His latest single, 'City of Me,' off his forthcoming album, 'Dreamin' Big,' is currently available on iTunes. The Texas crooner's music is described as neo-soul, and he's had the honor of playing support gigs for such artists as Dwele and Trey Songz.

In his first blog post for 'The Voice,' Austin describes his unusual upbringing: "I am black Hawaiian; I was adopted when I was 4 days old; my family is Mormon and I have been singing since I was a little guy in diapers." In his pre-performance interview, he revealed that he was a sci-fi geek who loves playing video games.

After his audition, Austin was forced to choose between Adam Levine and Cee Lo Green as his coach. He chose to go with Cee Lo, with whom he 'share[s] a kinship' over their love of 'Star Wars.'

Watch Tje Austin Introduce His Family on 'The Voice'