For Cricket Lee, having a little name has always been a big blessing. The Dothan native, who was dubbed Cricket by her grandfather on her second day of life, says the catchy nickname has always served as an advantage for her, especially now that she’s a southern gospel singer and heads up Cricket Lee Ministries.
And much like her adopted namesake, Cricket sings up a storm, and has been doing so since she was a small child. “I’ve loved to perform for people since I was 4 years old. I started taking piano lessons in the fourth grade and continued for eight years. As a child I would sit down in a heartbeat and play something on the piano and start singing for anyone who would listen,” she said, laughing as she recalled the memories.
Utilizing her love of music and song, the 42-year-old musician said she has always been involved in her church choir and admits to having a love affair with southern gospel music for “as long as I can remember. I was raised on southern gospel,” she added, pointing out that she classifies her genre as progressive southern gospel and inspirational.
In 1990 Cricket began singing with a southern gospel group that performed on a dinner cruise ship, The Lady Anderson, out of Panama City, Fla. During this time she was approached to perform solo, as well as serve as the ship’s cruise director. “It was my first professional singing job,” she said, recalling her singing debut that turned into a seven-year stint.
It was during this period that Lee said she felt called by God into the music ministry. She eventually resigned from her position as cruise director and created Cricket Lee Ministries. In 1997 she produced her first solo album, “For Someone Like Me.”
During Lee’s career she has performed with gospel music greats Tony Gore and Majesty, the Dixie Echoes, the Anchormen and the Gann Brothers.
Lee was instrumental, along with other southern gospel performers in south Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, in helping to establish the Emerald Coast Southern Gospel Music Association. She currently serves on the board of directors.
In 2001 Lee released her second album, “Just One Drop” which was named Album of the Year in 2002. The album’s success also resulted in Lee’s receiving the prestigious Beacon Award, which is based on fan input. “Just One Drop” continues to remain popular. One of the songs on the album, “Mercy Came Running” hit number 70 on the Singing News charts in December.
Her third album, “Timeless,” debuted in February 2003. “This album has gotten a lot of air play on the radio,” she said. As a result of this exposure, Lee said she is getting calls for out-of-state bookings, which is helping her to fulfill her longtime dream of full-time evangelism.
Future plans for Lee include going to Nashville in March to cut another album — this one, however, targeted for national release.
Along with Lee’s music ministry, she ministers through speaking engagements, especially to women’s groups where she combines her singing along with her personal testimony. Lee and her husband/manager, Dennis, are members of Dothan’s Ridgecrest Baptist Church where Lee is an active member in the church choir as well as assisting with the children’s choir.
Each year Lee presents a concert for the community. One of her biggest fans is Dothan’s Mayor Chester Sowell who said of Lee, “Cricket is always bubbling over with joy and after seeing her perform you realize her joy comes from a close walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. Her sensitivity for people who have spiritual, physical and emotional needs is rare. I can assure you that you will be mightily blessed by her anointed singing.”
Share with others: