JOHN CRUZ is one of a kind.
“… soulful, folksy, bluesy and technically superb, yet
seemingly effortless.”
–Honolulu Magazine
John Cruz grew up in Hawai‘i in a home immersed in
music; he performed with his father and brothers from
a young age. His move to the East Coast in 1983 enabled
him to develop his own style as a singer songwriter,
performing everywhere from New York’s coffeehouses
and bars to clubs and local haunts from Martha’s
Vineyard to the Boston area, as well as venturing into
both theater and dance, and was leading member of the
prestigious New World Theater.
Returning to Hawaii, he released his first album
Acoustic Soul in 1996, to artistic and commercial impact.
It spawned the radio hits “Shine On,” “Sitting in Limbo”
and “Island Style,” which has become a local anthem
known around the world (including President Obama’s
iPod songlist) and won two Na Hoku (Hawai‘i’s
“Grammy”) Awards, including one for Most Promising
Artist. In 2005, John added a Grammy Award to his list
of honors, as part of the compilation CD Slack Key Guitar Volume 2, which won the first Grammy ever awarded
for Hawaiian music.

John’s touring has included Byron Bay Bluesfest in Australia, Bonnaroo
Music and Arts Festival in Tennessee, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage
Festival, Summerstage in New York’s Central Park, Carnegie Hall and
prominent venues up and down both coasts. He played 14 shows at
the prestigious SXSW (South by Southwest) music festival. He has
collaborated with such artists as Jack Johnson, Jackson Browne, Eddie
Vedder, Jimmy Buffett, Lisa Loeb, and Phish frontman Trey Anastasio.
In October 2006, a documentary film on his life, Made of Music – The
Story of John Cruz, debuted at the Louis Vuitton Hawai‘i International
Film Festival in Honolulu. He was named Best Singer Songwriter by
Hawaii Magazine in 2008. His 2nd album One of These Days debuted
at #2 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart and #6 on the Billboard
World Chart, earned the Na Hoku Award for Contemporary Album of
the Year, and was named one of the “Top 25 Greatest Hawaii Albums
of the New Century” by Honolulu Magazine in 2012. He won his most
recent Na Hoku Award in 2022 for the Music Video of his song It’s
Time to Build A Bridge. https://www.johncruz.com/
VIDEO: It’s Time to Build A Bridge
Island Style