Cree’s Profile

Crystal White was born in Charlottesville Virginia. She spent her adolescence growing up all over the world following her father in his travels as a career military man with the United States Air Force. She defines her major years of development as having taken place in Hawaii.
She received a degree in Dramatic Arts from The University of the Pacific but her many encounters during her travels pointed her in the direction of music. In 1975 her “musical baptism” was initiated as she found her self side by side with world famous singer/guitarist ALVIN LEE on his world tour as a back-up singer.
Shortly after she followed up with still another tour, this time backing up Stephen Stills of the legendary quartet “CROSBY, STILLS, NASH, and YOUNG.”
She continued for a few years as a backup vocalist working with such artists as: BOZ SCAGGS, DAN HICKS and HIS HOT LICKS, DR. HOOK and STEVIE WONDER.

Jazz became more and more important to her after meeting and working with Jazz icons such as Dizzy Gillespie, Tommy Flanagan, Hank Jones, and Tony Scott. Her marriage to jazz violinist CHARLES BURNHAM took her to Europe where she has resided since 1982.

In Italy Crystal is a well-known and popular artist thanks to her brilliant and eclectic musical career. She has collaborated with such prestigious names as ZUCCHERO, RON, ENZO AVITABILE, EROS RAMAZOTTI, ALEX BRITTI, TULIO DE PISCOPO, and ROBERTO CIOTTI. She was the featured singer with ROMANO MUSSOLINI (son of famous dictator Benito Mussolini) and his orchestra for a number of years.

She has made numerous Television appearances such as DOC, THE MAURIZIO COSTANZA SHOW, UN MONDO A COLORI, TELE MIKE, DOMENICA IN, SAN REMO MUCIC FESTIVAL, FESTIVAL BAR (GABIN), THE MARISA LAURITO SHOW, SPECIAL FOR THE EPIPHANY RAI 1, SPECIAL FOR PADRE PIO RAI 1 to name a few. You can also enjoy crystal’s voice on the soundtracks of the following films: DUEL, A BEAR NAMED ARTHUR, and MARAKESH EXPRESS and SONS OF SENEGAL.

But for Crystal, music is just one aspect of her versatile artistic personality. As an actress we find her in FEDERICO FELLINI’S film “AS THE SHIP SAILS ON”, in the acclaimed theatrical role of “LADY BLUES” in TORCH SONG TRILOGIES, and in the musicals MY MAMAS’ SONGS, THE LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, JAZZ STORY, and KISS ME KATE in the role of “HATTIE”.
She Costarred next to one of Italy’s icons Giorgio Albertazzi as ADELE in the 2003 theatrical production of MR. PETERS CONNECTIONS.
She currently appears in Christian De Sica’s film THE CLAN in the role of “CHIAPPE D’ORO” and will return to her role as EARTH MOTHER in the musical MENOPAUSE on tour in Italy from March 2006 until June 2007.

At the moment Crystal divides her time between her Jazz ensemble “A LOVE SUPREME” and the gospel group “ SISTERS AND DAUGHTERS OF PRAISE” composed entirely of her sister’s and nieces and of which she is the leader. She has just released a new jazz album on Azzura Records, “I’M TALKIN BOUT LOVE”

Oh, we almost forgot...
Crystal continues to be a world traveler continuously gathering creative stimulation and looking for new territories to conquer!!!