Cynthia Clawson has been singing the gospel for more than four decades. Called "The most awesome voice in gospel music" by Billboard Magazine, she has received a GRAMMY and five Dove Awards for her work.
She was three years old when her father first asked her to sing in the small church he pastored, and Cynthia has not stopped since - from local neighborhood churches to Robert Schuller's Hour of Power to London's Wembley Stadium. Though never considered a southern gospel singer by critics and fans, she has been honored to be a frequent guest on Bill and Gloria Gaither's Homecoming series. Cynthia has reached millions of people throughout the world with her music.
Throughout her career, Cynthia has continued to push beyond the boundaries of traditional gospel music. A graduate of Howard Payne University with a major in vocal performance and a minor in piano, Cynthia was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from Houston Baptist University in 1995. Her rendition of Softly and Tenderly set the evocative tone for the soundtrack of the Academy Award winning movie The Trip to Bountiful. In 1998, she recorded a cast album of gospel songs for a revival of the musical Smoke on the Mountain, which opened at the Lambs Theatre in New York City.
For over a decade, Cynthia has been a guest artist for Conspirare, a group recognized as the preeminent a cappella choral ensemble in the country. She has performed with this professional choir, under the direction of Craig Hella Johnson, in their annual Christmas at the Carillon event to full-house audiences each year.
Cynthia's recent recording, entitled See Me, God, has received overwhelming audience response. This work is arguably her most personal album to date and is vintage Cynthia as it explores the struggles and sorrows of life. Also, the recording of an all-new a cappella Christmas album, Carols and Chant, was completed in the fall of 2004. Cynthia and her musical arranger, Bruce Greer, traveled to different venues across the country during the 2006 Christmas season and presented this haunting blend of dearly loved Christmas carols and Gregorian chant. The Calla Lily Company, a partnership created by Cynthia and her husband, Ragan Courtney, produced these two projects.
The Calla Lily Company is re-releasing several of Cynthia's most requested earlier works in a series called Cynthia Clawson Classics. Forever, Finest Hour, Immortal and The Way I Feel are currently available with You’re Welcome Here due to be released in late February, 2007. She will be recording two new compact discs this spring of 2007. All of Cynthia's recordings are available for purchase at her concerts as well as on her website. Detailed descriptions of each CD are included on the shop page at: www.cynthiaclawson.com.
Currently, Cynthia and Ragan are co-pastors of The Sanctuary Austin, Texas where they design worship services using theatrical arts and musical expression to communicate eternal truths. Their son, Will, has returned from Los Angeles to work with The Calla Lily Company and their daughter, Lily, has graduated from The University of Texas with a degree in Religious Studies and is also working for the family-owned music production company. Following in their family tradition of making music, Will and Lily have released their own well-received CD, Brothers and Sisters, with their band of the same name. They perform regularly in the Austin area and have recently returned from a two-month tour of the US and Canada.