Luther Burbank Center presents John Cruz with Special Guest Faith Ako

John Cruz grew up in Hawai‘i in a home immersed in music. He performed with his father and brothers from a young age and moved to the East Coast in 1983 to develop his own style as a singer songwriter. He performed 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. He was leading member of the prestigious New World Theater. Returning to Hawaii, John released his first album, Acoustic Soul, in 1996. It was followed by radio hits “Shine On,” “Sitting in Limbo,” and “Island Style,” which won two Na Hoku Awards, including one for “Most Promising Artist,” and has become iconic in Hawai’i. In 2005, John added a Grammy Award® – the first to be awarded for Hawaiian music – to his list of honors, as part of the compilation CD, Slack Key Guitar Volume 2.