Biography
Few musicians have compiled such a distinguished body of work without achieving widespread stardom as Cidny Bullens, although numerous rock legends have acknowledged his abilities. He provided backing vocals for Elton John, Rod Stewart, and Bob Dylan, wrote material for the Chicks, Radney Foster, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and performed on three cuts from the Grease soundtrack. As a solo performer, Bullens merged accessible pop with energetic rock on the 1978 cult favorite Desire Wire and intensified his guitar-driven approach on 1979’s Steal the Night. Later releases such as 1999’s Somewhere Between Heaven and Earth, featuring contributions from Bonnie Raitt, Lucinda Williams, and Rodney Crowell, and 2005’s Dream #29 revealed a more reflective, blues-inflected perspective, while 2023’s Little Pieces marked a further artistic shift.
Born March 21, 1950, Bullens grew up in Massachusetts immersed in blues and rock & roll. In the early 1970s he relocated to Los Angeles seeking entry into the music industry and secured a position assisting Bob Crewe, the producer and songwriter responsible for Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons’ major successes. Through this connection he established key industry relationships and began working as a session vocalist on Gene Clark’s No Other, Don Everly’s Sunset Towers (both 1974), and Disco Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes’ 1975 cult release Get Dancin’. Bullens also met and later married Crewe’s brother, Dan Crewe. Friendship with songwriter Bob Neuwirth, a longtime associate of Bob Dylan, led to backup vocal slots on early club dates that evolved into Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue tour. Around the same period he encountered Elton John at a gathering; after choosing between offers to tour with Dylan or Elton, Bullens opted for the latter and spent several years in Elton’s road band while also singing on the 1976 album Blue Moves and the hit duet “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” with Kiki Dee.
Work alongside Elton John opened doors to further high-profile engagements with Rod Stewart, Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys, Rory Block, and T-Bone Burnett’s the Alpha Band. In 1978 Bullens sang lead on three Grease songs that appeared on the multi-platinum soundtrack. United Artists Records signed him as a solo artist, issuing Desire Wire in 1979; the album earned strong reviews and the single “Survivor” reached the mid-50s on the Top 200. Financial instability at the label caused its collapse shortly afterward. Casablanca Records released Steal the Night later that year, yet the company’s preference for a more commercial pop image and limited promotion resulted in modest sales. Bullens subsequently concentrated on session work, occasional backing-vocal assignments including a stint with Meat Loaf, and songwriting, particularly with country artists such as the Chicks and Radney Foster, before issuing a self-titled MCA album in 1989. During an extended hiatus from recording, he and spouse Dan Crewe raised their children in Maine.
The death of daughter Jessie from Stage 4 Hodgkin’s disease at age 11 in 1996 prompted Bullens’ return to the studio. Songs written while processing grief became 1999’s Somewhere Between Heaven and Earth, a roots-oriented collection featuring Bonnie Raitt, Lucinda Williams, Bryan Adams, Beth Nielsen Chapman, and Rodney Crowell, who co-produced the Artemis Records release. The album charted and sold well enough to yield a follow-up, 2001’s Neverland, which included Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, and John Hiatt. Financial troubles at Artemis delayed the next project, so Dream #29 appeared on Blue Lobster in 2005 with guest spots from Elton John and Delbert McClinton. Bullens formed the Refugees with Wendy Waldman and Deborah Holland; the trio issued Unbound in 2009, Three in 2012, and the EP How Far It Goes in 2019.
Following 2010’s Howling Trains and Barking Dogs, a compilation of Nashville co-writes, Bullens transitioned in 2012. After several years away from performing he resurfaced in 2016 with the autobiographical one wo/man show Somewhere Between – Not an Ordinary Life, which premiered in Nashville and toured nationally. He also became an active speaker and advocate for transgender and LGBTQIA causes. The short documentary The Gender Line screened at festivals in 2019 and 2020, and the self-released album Walkin’ Through This World appeared in 2020, containing several tracks addressing trans experiences. In June 2023 Bullens published the autobiography TransElectric: My Life as a Cosmic Rock Star, introduced by Elton John. Signing with Kill Rock Stars, he saw the label issue Little Pieces in October 2023, a reconfigured edition of the prior album that added the duet “Not with You” with Beth Nielsen Chapman.
Born March 21, 1950, Bullens grew up in Massachusetts immersed in blues and rock & roll. In the early 1970s he relocated to Los Angeles seeking entry into the music industry and secured a position assisting Bob Crewe, the producer and songwriter responsible for Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons’ major successes. Through this connection he established key industry relationships and began working as a session vocalist on Gene Clark’s No Other, Don Everly’s Sunset Towers (both 1974), and Disco Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes’ 1975 cult release Get Dancin’. Bullens also met and later married Crewe’s brother, Dan Crewe. Friendship with songwriter Bob Neuwirth, a longtime associate of Bob Dylan, led to backup vocal slots on early club dates that evolved into Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue tour. Around the same period he encountered Elton John at a gathering; after choosing between offers to tour with Dylan or Elton, Bullens opted for the latter and spent several years in Elton’s road band while also singing on the 1976 album Blue Moves and the hit duet “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” with Kiki Dee.
Work alongside Elton John opened doors to further high-profile engagements with Rod Stewart, Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys, Rory Block, and T-Bone Burnett’s the Alpha Band. In 1978 Bullens sang lead on three Grease songs that appeared on the multi-platinum soundtrack. United Artists Records signed him as a solo artist, issuing Desire Wire in 1979; the album earned strong reviews and the single “Survivor” reached the mid-50s on the Top 200. Financial instability at the label caused its collapse shortly afterward. Casablanca Records released Steal the Night later that year, yet the company’s preference for a more commercial pop image and limited promotion resulted in modest sales. Bullens subsequently concentrated on session work, occasional backing-vocal assignments including a stint with Meat Loaf, and songwriting, particularly with country artists such as the Chicks and Radney Foster, before issuing a self-titled MCA album in 1989. During an extended hiatus from recording, he and spouse Dan Crewe raised their children in Maine.
The death of daughter Jessie from Stage 4 Hodgkin’s disease at age 11 in 1996 prompted Bullens’ return to the studio. Songs written while processing grief became 1999’s Somewhere Between Heaven and Earth, a roots-oriented collection featuring Bonnie Raitt, Lucinda Williams, Bryan Adams, Beth Nielsen Chapman, and Rodney Crowell, who co-produced the Artemis Records release. The album charted and sold well enough to yield a follow-up, 2001’s Neverland, which included Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, and John Hiatt. Financial troubles at Artemis delayed the next project, so Dream #29 appeared on Blue Lobster in 2005 with guest spots from Elton John and Delbert McClinton. Bullens formed the Refugees with Wendy Waldman and Deborah Holland; the trio issued Unbound in 2009, Three in 2012, and the EP How Far It Goes in 2019.
Following 2010’s Howling Trains and Barking Dogs, a compilation of Nashville co-writes, Bullens transitioned in 2012. After several years away from performing he resurfaced in 2016 with the autobiographical one wo/man show Somewhere Between – Not an Ordinary Life, which premiered in Nashville and toured nationally. He also became an active speaker and advocate for transgender and LGBTQIA causes. The short documentary The Gender Line screened at festivals in 2019 and 2020, and the self-released album Walkin’ Through This World appeared in 2020, containing several tracks addressing trans experiences. In June 2023 Bullens published the autobiography TransElectric: My Life as a Cosmic Rock Star, introduced by Elton John. Signing with Kill Rock Stars, he saw the label issue Little Pieces in October 2023, a reconfigured edition of the prior album that added the duet “Not with You” with Beth Nielsen Chapman.
Albums
Singles
