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Chrystal Rucker is a gospel soprano known to fans for her dynamic covers of "Over the Rainbow" and <a href="spotify:artist:12pzJohM40StvAPzI1t3Tb">Walter Hawkins</a>' "Changed." The daughter of a bishop in the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), the Kansas City, Missouri native started singing in church as a toddler. She went on to study music and English at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Motherhood compelled the vocalist to pursue a reliable income, so she found office work while still singing on weekends. Eventually, Rucker found demand as a guest performer on gospel albums by artists including <a href="spotify:artist:3IuP2fe32xEYp0GqLxWgmj">Edwin Hawkins</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3OynlC6nWcVjm1c9zjo9SK">Myron Williams</a>, and Jerome Greene. Continued guest spots, along with increased exposure provided by <a href="spotify:artist:2izm16Jd9ifkaqR5fxzlTK">Dorinda Clark-Cole</a> (<a href="spotify:artist:6VUdDU44uo3KwSHc9lAEFE">the Clark Sisters</a>) within COGIC, led to more live performance opportunities and a livelihood as a professional musician. In 2007, a series of strokes nearly ended Rucker's life, much less her career aspirations, but she returned to the stage as soon as her recovery would allow, and self-released an eponymous album in 2009. She continued to appear on other musicians' recordings, including 2011's Moses Tyson, Jr.: World Class Gospel Music Jubilee and Keep Living by <a href="spotify:artist:3EDwVZensg15abkTt5zfTM">Ricky Dillard</a>. When <a href="spotify:artist:3qJMkUIxNLC90m6BdgLEFt">Earnest Pugh</a> started his own record label in 2012, he remembered Rucker from her performance at the funeral of Grammy-winning choir director <a href="spotify:artist:1aQZvSxNOs4rTYX77yEcxg">O'Landa Draper</a> and got her in the studio. <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22EPM+Music+Group%22">EPM Music Group</a> released her label debut, You Deserve, that summer. The title track landed on the Billboard Hot Gospel Songs chart, and the album reached the gospel Top Ten. ~ Marcy Donelson, Rovi
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