Connell Cruise Kingsburgh (born May 19, 1987) known professionally as Connell Cruise, is a South African singer, songwriter, performer, pianist, and musician.[1]
In 2013 he released his debut solo album in South Africa through David Gresham Records,[2] and would earn three South African Music Award nominations the following year.[3] The lead single, "Not Just Friends," became his first number one single on South African radio charts.[4]
He released "Into The Wild" as a follow-up single in 2014,[5] which led to L.A. Reid signing Cruise to Epic Records in what is considered the largest and most significant record deal in South African music history.[6]
Cruise met his wife, Sarah, in New York City and in September 2016 the two were married at New York City Hall.[9] The couple relocated to South Africa in 2017[10] to coincide with the release of his second studio album Barely Breathing, again through David Gresham Records.[11] The album debuted at number one on the South African iTunes album chart[12] and garnered Cruise his fifth South African Music Award nomination[13]
In 2018, he was one of 12 celebrity contestants to compete in the first season of Dancing with the Stars South Africa,[14] which he and his dancing partner, Marcella Solimeo, won.[15]
After a brief hiatus from the music industry, Cruise announced in 2019 that he had renewed his recording contract with David Gresham Records and had started work on his third studio album.[16] Following the global and unprecedented upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Cruise released Confluence, a greatest hits album with five new songs including "All Summer Long" and "Take Me To The River" – receiving critical acclaim.[17]
After relocating to the United States of America in 2015, following his signing with Epic Records, Cruise met Sarah Dunham in New York City. The two married in September 2016 in a very intimate ceremony at New York City Hall. The couple celebrated their marriage again almost a year later, in August 2017, at a wedding ceremony held in South Africa.[23] The ceremony and reception, which featured a performance by Cruise for his wife, was broadcast on an episode of a premiere South African lifestyle show, Top Billing.
In March 2019,[24] Connell and Sarah publicly announced the December birth of their son, Ivor Wright Kingsburgh.[25]
Career
In 2010, Cruise auditioned for the sixth season of Idols South Africa and made it to the Top 16.[26] Following his experience on the show, he began a career in gospel music as a performer and songwriter. He featured on Integrity Music compilation albums[27] and participated in the founding of South African contemporary gospel group We Will Worship,[28] before being discovered and signed as a solo artist and songwriter by David Gresham Records in 2012.[29][30]
His 2013 debut album with David Gresham Records was well received in South Africa,[31] earning Cruise three South African Music Awards nominations[32] and giving him his first number one charted South Africa radio single "Not Just Friends."[4] Work began immediately on a follow up album and Cruise collaborated with songwriters in New York City, such as Ido Zmishlany, through video calls from South Africa.[33] His 2014 single, "Into The Wild," debuted at number one on the South African iTunes singles chart and caused a social media frenzy on Twitter, which caught the attention of American music executive L.A Reid.[34]
In 2017, Cruise released his sophomore studio album, Barely Breathing.[57] The album debuted at number one on the South African iTunes album chart[12] and would go on to earn him his fifth South African Music Award nomination.[58] The lead single from the album, "All Day" topped the South African radio charts.[59] Cruise was invited to be a mentor on the second season of The Voice South Africa, and performed "All Day" live on the show.[60]
In 2018, Cruise was one of 12 South African celebrities chosen to compete in the first season of Dancing with the Stars South Africa.[61] He was partnered with Latin dance champion, Marcella Solimeo.[62] After topping the leaderboard throughout the competition, Cruise and Solimeo bounced back from their first and only dance-off in the semifinal to win the show and take home the mirrorball trophy.[63] The Twitter hashtag, #TeamCruiseControl, became a rallying point for Cruise's fans and supporters throughout the season, dominating much of the television show's social media presence.[64]
Several of Cruise's songs have been featured in international synchronizations during his career. "Endless Possibilities," an exclusive release for the United States of America, was selected by Pepsi Co. for their North American Quaker Oats television commercial campaign[65] and "Into The Wild" featured in the international trailers of the animated feature films "Robinson Crusoe"[66] (2016), and "Missing Link."[16] (2019). Also in 2019, "All Day" was selected as the theme song for the first season of The Bachelor South Africa.[67] Cruise performed a live version of the song on the season finale.[68] Later in 2019, Cruise was invited to participate in the opening performance of the 25th South African Music Awards where he performed "All Day" as part of a showcase that displayed and honored South African music industry legends.[69]
In 2019, after taking a brief hiatus from the music industry to start a family with his wife, Sarah, Cruise announced that he had renewed his recording contract with David Gresham Records and had begun to record his third studio album.[16]Confluence, his third studio album, was released in 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic to critical acclaim. Described as a project where all of his "ideas, creativity, and work converge, making way for something more"[17] the album includes his latest hit singles "All Summer Long" and "Take Me To The River."
