Cindy Bullens

By Dana Rodriguez

Aug 31 1999

Singer/songwriter Cindy Bullens knows only too well about pain. After doing nothing but cry for the first few months after the death of her 11-year-old daughter, Jessie Bullens-Crewe, in March of 1996, she picked up her guitar and wrote the title track to Somewhere Between Heaven and Earth. The album, released on Bullens' Blue Lobster label, sold out the first 1,000 special edition copies, with all proceeds going to the foundation set up in her daughter's name to benefit the Maine Children's Cancer Program.

Cindy's recording career dates back to 1979 with the release of her debut album, Desire Wire, which brought her a Grammy nomination for the single "Survivor." She was also nominated for a Grammy for her lead vocal contributions on the soundtrack to Grease.

Bullens, who has performed and recorded with some of the greatest names in music, including Elton John, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, Joe Cocker and Bryan Adams, enlisted the help of some of these long-time friends for what has turned out to be a very emotional and self-therapeutic album. Both Raitt and Adams lend backing vocals on various songs, along with Beth Neilson Chapman, Lucinda Williams and Rodney Crowell (who also produced three of the tracks).

Says Raitt, "It's such an unbelievable gift to watch someone transform such agony into such purity.