- Album list
- Singer Intro
Cindy Lerae Cruse-Ratcliff (born May 18, 1963) is a singer-songwriter who serves as the senior worship leader at the Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas.
Music career
Cruse began ministering at the age of six alongside her family, The Cruse Family, a well-known evangelistic musical group. The group, popular throughout much of the 1970s and early 1980s, traveled and ministered all across the world. They released 25 albums and received two Dove Awards.
While Cruse said she always had a heart for music ministry, she would not become involved with worship music herself until later in life.
At the age of nine, she became the youngest licensed ASCAP songwriter. Since that time, she has written for and produced more than 100 album recordings.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Cruse recorded two Christian album-oriented rock/melodic rock albums entitled The Edge and Small Town Girl. Her husband at the time, contemporary Christian Music artist, Tim Miner served as executive producer for Small Town Girl.
From 1997 to 1998, she traveled with Revival Ministries International leading worship for evangelistic crusades in the United States and abroad. In late 1998, she moved to Covenant Church in Carrollton, Texas, serving as one of three worship leaders.
In January 2000, she received a phone call from Lakewood Church Pastor Joel Osteen, who offered her the opportunity to become the church's worship director. She was Osteen's first hire when he became the new pastor of Lakewood. While Cruse said she and her husband did not initially feel drawn to the church, they quickly fell in love with the people and moved to Houston.
Today, Cruse leads weekend worship services at Lakewood Church alongside Steve Crawford and Da'dra Crawford Greathouse, former members of the Contemporary Christian music duo Anointed. They are also frequently joined by Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Israel Houghton, who also serves as one of the church's worship leaders. In early 2008, her position in the church changed from director of music and worship to the senior worship leader.
In May 2010, Cruse released her first studio album in over ten years, 23. The album features 12 original songs including 'Shout it Out Loud', 'Living in Me', 'Hurricane', and more.
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