Cindy McElroy

Bio

Raised on Drummond Island in da U.P. of Michigan, eh? Da folks just knew she had an ear for music right from da start. No musical instruments in their home except for an old accordion…she oompa’d until she was in high school when her mother bought a used piano. She took piano lessons in Sault Ste. Marie (a 50 mile drive). When she left home she couldn’t fit the piano into the vw so she bought a guitar and headed for Arizona.

Cindy grew musically during her 8 ½ year stay in Tucson. She tried everything from Italian Voice Lessons to singing in the church choir during which time she and her vocal trainer noticed an amazing transition in her voice.. It was actually a life altering experience. With this new found voice she gained confidence, and began to play occasional coffee shop gigs which opened opportunities to meet other musicians. She was often asked her to “sit-in” with friends bands and eventually she joined a rock band called General Electric (G.E.). Cindy played accoustic guitar, sang lead and back-up vocals, played keyboards and wrote music for the band. The band was short lived and in 1985 she returned to Michigan.

Training & Previous Bands

Venues

Upon her return to her home on Drummond Island she landed a job with Tom Monaghan, owner of Domino’s Pizza and The Detroit Tigers. She was a waitress in the dining room of Monaghan’s Executive Retreat and would often play for sing-alongs after dinner in the main lodge. When Fred Smith attended with a group of retired Tigers and heard Cindy sing he asked if she’d like to sing the National Anthem at Tiger Stadium. Reluctantly she said “yes!?!” It was the fall of 1990. Fred saw to it that her performance was aired on national television without a commercial break so that her family and friends back home on Drummond Island could watch. It was quite the fanfare for a small town girl.

In 1991, married and living in the Lansing area, Cindy continued vocal training was recruited, once again to join the First Presbyterian Church Choir in Downtown Lansing where she sang for 15 years. While working for East Lansing Schools she played often for elementary students and started two musical groups of her own. Buskers Ace was a women’s trio, in which she played guitar and sang with Emily and Abigail English. Their voices blended beautifully together and they sang in church and for special events. Simultaneously she hooked up with Tina Honecker and Theresa Bush to start an all girl rock band called The 44 Ds. The band was beginning to get some notice when personal differences got in the way of success. The “Ds” went their separate ways and so did Buskers ACE.

She began recording her first CD in 2006 following her mother’s passing, which inspired the song The Queen of Norway. She hopes to complete this project in 2009. Her current focus, however, is working on a show for Alzheimer’s called “Alzheimer’s…Feel the Love”. A portion of the proceeds will go toward Alzheimer’s research.

2009 marks Cindy's debut as a solo artist, employing acoustic guitar and vocals. She is now available for entertaining at weddings, special events, and all other occasions. For booking contact Cindy