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Artist Information
Biography
JOHN CRUZ NAMED 2008 BEST SINGER-SONGWRITER IN HAWAII BY HAWAII MAGAZINE
"John Cruz is one of my favorite songwriters in the world."
- Jack Johnson, Billboard #1 top selling artist
"John is a great songwriter and a great singer...he's one of the best."
- Jackson Browne, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee
"ONE OF THESE DAYS" WINS 2008 CONTEMPORARY ALBUM OF THE YEAR!
"One of the year's finest albums, local or otherwise."
- Derek Paiva, Honolulu Advertiser
"It's astonishingly good; a landmark recording bursting with memorable songs that deserve national exposure."
- Jon Woodhouse, The Maui News
From the time he was a young boy growing up in Palolo Valley on Oahu, John Cruz knew he was destined to play music. Whether inside or outside the home, his earliest memories were filled with song. His Hawaiian grandmother had a beautiful voice and sang in church. His mom loved the Motown sound and had an extensive record collection. His dad played country music and taught John to perform live shows at a very young age. His brothers and sisters were all musically inclined and, along with numerous aunties, uncles, cousins, neighbors and friends, they have surrounded John with the gift of music for his entire life.
Although John grew up in Hawaii, it wasn't until he moved to the East Coast in 1983 that he developed his own style as a singer songwriter. During his 12 years in the Northeast, John cut his musical teeth in subways, coffeehouses and bars in New York's Greenwich Village, as well as in the clubs and local haunts from Martha's Vineyard to the Boston area. While attending the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, John ventured in to acting and dancing, which strengthened his command of the stage.
He spent six years in theatre and dance companies, performing everywhere from Lincoln Center to Washington D.C. As a member of the prestigious New World Theater, John played the lead role in "The Dance and the Railroad," by Tony Award winning Broadway playwright, David Henry Hwang, of M. Butterfly fame. John's outstanding performance was nationally recognized in the finals of a collegiate drama competition.
John returned to Hawaii in 1995 to help his brother Ernie record his album. At the time, Ernie was in the immensely popular band, the Ka'au Crater Boys. He invited John to play bass with them and to play his own songs during their shows. The exposure to large crowds gave John's music a substantial fan base before it was even recorded. When his first album, Acoustic Soul was released in 1996, it made an artistic and commercial impact like few other recordings in Hawaiian musical history.
Acoustic Soul to date has sold over 100,000 copies in Hawaii alone. John produced the album himself and released it on his own label, Lilikoi Records. It spawned the radio hits "Shine On," "Sitting in Limbo" and "Island Style," which has become a local anthem known around the world. Most songs from the album still receive daily radio airplay and can be heard on numerous compilation CDs, in hotels, airports, shopping malls, school music classes, commercials and just about everywhere else music is played within the state. Acoustic Soul won two Na Hoku Hanohano Awards in 1997 -- one for Contemporary Album of the Year and one for Most Promising Artist.
In 2005, John added the Grammy Award to his list of honors. His original song "Jo Bo's Night" was featured on the compilation CD Slack Key Guitar Volume 2, which won the first Grammy ever awarded for Hawaiian music.
Over the years, John has attracted some stellar fans. Stars like Jack Johnson, Jackson Browne, Eddie Vedder, Jimmy Buffett, Lisa Loeb, Trey Anastasio and others, have shown their support in various ways. John co-wrote a song with Trey called "A Case of Ice and Snow," which was released on the Phish frontman's solo CD, Bar 17. World Champion surfer Kelly Slater featured three of John's songs on his DVD, "Letting Go," in 2006. Jack Johnson has released "Island Style" on several CDs and plays it frequently in concert. John joined Robert Plant and Allison Krauss, along with other quality singer songwriters, on the WMVY radio compilation CD, Fresh Produce Volume 4, with his hit song "Missing You."
In October 2006, a documentary film on his life, "Made of Music - The Story of John Cruz," debuted at the Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival in Honolulu. A few weeks later, it was honored with the Aloha Visionary Filmmaker Award at the Molokai Film Festival. It features John's signature candor and wit, as well as a personal story that tugs at the heartstrings, and music that will delight and inspire. Jack Johnson, Jackson Browne, Kelly Slater and Jake Shimabukuro add color and insight to an already powerful story.
John is the official spokesman for Sprint Hawaii's Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, which donates free ukuleles to school music programs in need. He visits classrooms and gives surprise performances to inspire kids to achieve and believe in themselves.
John's recent touring has included stops at the massive Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Tennessee, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Summerstage in New York's Central Park, Carnegie Hall and prominent national venues up and down both coasts. He headlined four galas during Barack Obama's inauguration and played 14 shows at the prestigious SXSW (South by Southwest) music festival in Austin, Texas in March 2009, as one of the first Hawaiians ever invited to showcase there.
John has distinguished himself as one of the most talented artists that has ever come from Hawaii and was named the Best Singer Songwriter by Hawaii Magazine in 2008. After a classic hit first album, this well-earned reputation became even more solidified when he released his long-awaited second album, One of These Days in 2007. After its debut week, the album landed firmly at #1 in Hawaii, #2 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart for the Pacific Region and #6 on the Billboard World Chart. Critics described it as "brilliant" and "one of the year's finest albums, local or otherwise." The Hawaii Academy of Recording Arts gave the CD its highest honor in 2008, by awarding John the Na Hoku Hanohano Award for Contemporary Album of the Year. It delivers more of the warm, heartfelt melodies and passionate, soulful vocals that John's fans have grown to know and love.
Instrumentation
John Cruz - Lead vocals, acoustic guitars for solo.
Duo, trio, full band - Vocal harmonies, drums or percussion, electric or acoustic guitars, keyboards, upright or electric bass. Members and instrumentation vary depending upon the type of show and size of venue.
Discography
LPs:
2007 One of These Days - Winner of 2008 Na Hoku Hanohano Award for Contemporary Album of the Year. Recipient of 2 preliminary Grammy nominations, for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Best Contemporary Folk/Americana album. Debuted at #1 in Hawaii, #2 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart for the Pacific Region and #6 on the Billboard World Chart.
1996 Acoustic Soul - Winner of 2 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards, for Most Promising Artist and Contemporary Album of the Year. Sold over 100,000 copies in Hawaii alone.
Singles:
2008 Missing You - #1 radio hit from "One of These Days." Also on WMVY radio's "Fresh Produce Vol. 4" CD with Robert Plant and Alison Krauss.
2007 Hurricane - #1 radio hit from "One of These Days."
2007 One of These Days - Title track from new CD, added to rotation on radio stations throughout Hawaii, on the US mainland, in Europe, Japan and beyond.
2006 A Case of Ice and Snow - Co-written with Trey Anastasio for his "Bar 17" solo album.
2005 JoBo's Night - Grammy Winner from "Slack Key Guitar Vol. 2," which won the first Grammy ever awarded for Hawaiian music.
1997 Island Style - John's signature song and a huge radio hit on nearly every station in Hawaii, still in constant rotation today, from album "Acoustic Soul." Appears on numerous compilation CDs, including several with Jack Johnson and a DVD released by Kelly Slater.
1997 Shine On - Popular radio hit, still in rotation today and also on numerous compilation CDs. The favorite love song of fans all over the world.
1997 Kawailehua'a'alakahonua - Beautiful Hawaiian song still played on the radio today and one of the most requested songs at concerts.
1997 Sitting in Limbo - A favorite radio hit and crowd pleaser at live shows, John has made this upbeat cover tune his own.
DVDs:
2006 Made of Music - The Story of John Cruz
This powerful and poignant life story debuted at the Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival. It later won the Aloha Visionary Filmmaker Award at the Molokai Film Festival. Infused with John's candor and wit and literally drenched in music, this biography features John's friends Jack Johnson, Jackson Browne and Kelly Slater, among many others.
Video
Press
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2008 Best Singer-Songwriter in Hawaii
[+ Show ]
...And then there’s John Cruz, our pick for Best Singer-Songwriter from Hawaii who’s not Jack Johnso...
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Derek Paiva Review
One of the year's finest albums, local or otherwise.
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Jon Woodhouse Review
[+ Show ]
It's astonishingly good; a landmark recording bursting with memorable songs that deserve national ex...
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Bill Bentley Review
[+ Show ]
Hawaii has a way of putting things into perspective, where troubles have more room to breathe, and e...
Setlist
Song choices vary from show to show, but always include tunes from both albums, along with a few well chosen covers. The mood ranges from intimate to rollicking, but always stirs the soul with John's signature spontaneous style.
