Born in Middlesboro, Kentucy in 1963, Lydell recalls playing along to 45 inch records on his uncle's drum set as early as age 5. At age 6 his family relocated to Martinsburg, WV, where he acquired is own drum set and continued to hone his musical interests by organizing jam sessions with friends in his bedroom. Following another relocation at age 13, this time to Winchester, VA, Lydell picked up and taught himself how to play rhythm guitar. By age 16, Lydell was playing drums in the jazz, concert and marching bands in high school. He continued gathering friends for jam sessions, this time in his basement. In 1983, while attending Howard University, Lydell developed the skill of Dj’ing and was given the opportunity to host and spin records for his own radio show on campus radio station WHBC. Also while at Howard, Lydell started playing bass guitar, learned to play keyboards, started producing, composing and writing songs.

After Howard, Lydell began teaching a friend bass guitar parts, who then introduced him to Robbie Shiley. Robbie asked Lydell if he would be interested in filling in for his drummer who was ill, thus starting Lydell's professional music career in 1986. He initially started playing the drums, then gradually moved out front singing, learning how to not just play and sing, but how to entertain an audience. Grand Illuzion, the band Lydell was a part of, travelled up and down the east coast until they disbanded in 1989.

Following the disbandment of Grand Illuzion, Lydell took a break from playing to focus on writing and producing for himself, friends, and local artists for a few years. In 1995, he returned to playing in another genre and on a different instrument, as the bass guitarist and lead singer in the rock band Mama's Nightmare. During that year, he honed his skills in playing bass and singing simultaneously.

In 1996, Lydell formed his own band, Basement Funk, a reference to the musical gatherings and jam sessions he had back in high school and college days. At the end of 1996, Lydell received a call from his old friend Robbie Shiley about playing a one-time gig coming up in 1997. This led to the formation of a new band, which eventually became Souled Out!. As they say, the rest is history!