Carlos found a love for music at a very early age, listening to the likes of Donny Osmond, the DeFranco Family, The Jackson 5, Elvis, These were the bands that the grade school girls loved, and he would sing along to all the songs on the radio. He even at the age of like 9 or 10 was looking up record label and management company phone numbers from the album credits and would call and say How do i get on your label? 

Carlos would spend a lot of time in the summers and holidays with his grandparents in Detroit Rock City, and with his Mothers side of the family in Davenport Iowa, This is where Carlos went from playing 45s on the record player of songs like Crocodile Rock, The Night Chicago Died, Green Eyed Lady, and Ballroom Blitz,to actually attending Concerts, Carlos recalls his first concert was the Flying Burrito Brothers at the RKO Orpheum theater in Davenport Iowa, he then went to any and every live show he could get his hands on tickets too.

He went to shows like The Captain and Tenile and Kenny Rogers, then he was leaning more into Rock seeing bands like Wishbone Ash, Mahogany Rush, but when he first witnessed the band KISS on the Midnight Special He was HOOKED! This was Rock N Roll, Carlos quickly discovered bands like The Sweet, Starz, Angel, and was reguraly seeing bands in concert like Rush, Reo Speedwagon, Styx, Foreigner, Head East, Cheap Trick, The Babys, ect. But when Aerosmith released Get Your Wings, that is when Carlos Cruz knew he was destined to be a Rock N Roll Singer 

While living in Detroit Carlos would go to every show at Cobo Hall, He was seeing bands like Van Halen, AcDc, Journey, Bob Seeger, Ted Nugent, J Geils band, and KISS! This whole time writing and recording his vocals on a little 4 track recorder in his grandmas attic.This was the fuel that started the Fire!

Carlos formed his first band at 16 years old, they had 3 guitar players so they called the band TRIAXE the band debuted at the Snack N Rack arcade in Dearborn Heights Michigan and quickly won the talent show at the Highschool by playing Gimme 3 Steps by Skynyrd, Head First by the Babys, and Whip it by Devo, The band just as quickly fizzled out and disbanded.

That breif time in the band proved to be the stepping stone Carlos needed to truly know that music was gonna have to be a Way Of Life, So Carlos relocated to Austin Texas and Joined the band Satyre, there he learned to write and arrange songs, and got his first taste of a real recording studio, instead of a 4track in grandmas attic. While in Satyre Carlos learned the skills of working a audience by being a Singer in a band, a Dj at the local Rock Bar called Cardi's and a Dj at the local Strip Club and a VJ for a local TV show called Rockline T.V. All that time with a microphone stuffed in your face is a great learning experience. Satyre was opening for bands like Vixen, Saxon, Dangerous Toys, the Romantics, ect. He did countless shows and put one CD out, but he felt the need to move on, so he packed up and went to Tampa Florida.
    

As soon as Carlos got to Florida, he quickly put together a band and named it THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST BUSHHOUNDS, This band signed a deal with Copperplate records and recorded one record with Copperplate, the label decided to drop the Southern Baptist part and the band recorded as BUSHHOUNDS, while in the Bushhounds Carlos really got some stage time, playing a grueling nonstop schedule of shows for 5 years straight, touring and sharing the stage with many many national touring artists like Lynyrd Skynyrd, 38 Special, Marshall Tucker ,Molly Hatchet, ZZ.Top, Cheap Trick, Nazareth, Alice Cooper, Bad Company, Steppenwolf, Dr.Hook, Pat Travers, Grand Funk, Motley Crue, Black Crowes, Tesla, Staind, Linkin Park, Tantric, Firehouse, Ratt, Great White, Sebastian Bach, Every Mothers Nightmare, Enuff Z Nuff, Offspring, A.P.B, Southern Rock Allstars, Classic Rock Allstars, Iron Horse, Roxx Gang, Kid Rock, Rob Zombie, Puddle Of Mud, Sevendust, Earshot, Adema ect. Bushhounds  performed at a variety of special events like the Superbowl 2001 Bud Bowl Party, WWF Wrestling Events, State Fairs, Festivals, Radio Station Events, Daytona Florida's Bike Week & Biketoberfest, Tampa Florida's Festivals like Gasparilla & Guavaween. The band also performed at Tampa Florida's 98 Rock Livestock 11 Concert with Staind, Black Crowes, Tesla, Offspring, 3 Doors Down, Linkin Park, Mudvayne, Tantric, ect. And the band appeared at Livestock 12 sharing the stage with Kid Rock, Rob Zombie, Puddle Of Mud, Sevendust, Stone Temple Pilots, and more headline artists. But when the band went through 4 different drummers, there seemed to be a bit of a burnout factor, and Carlos was really wanting to head back to the Mountains and Oceans of CALIFORNIA!

Carlos arrived in Hollywood California and immiedietly starting scanning and putting up musicians wanted ads! With the power of craigslist and the internet Carlos was able to track down 4 guys that all come from the same musical backgrounds and influences, and have a desire and passion to write, record, and perform. Now formed and named STONEBREED , The band did their first show together on Oct 22,2009 at Paladinos in Tarzana California!

STONEBREED has quickly become one of Southern Californias favorite Rock Bands, Just in a short time the band has allready shared the stage with Molly Hatchet, Bullet Boys, Bang Tango, George Lynch, Marshall Tucker Band, Tuff, Vains of Jenna, Adler's Appetite,Cinderella, Steel Panther,Pretty Boy Floyd, Crash Diet and a host of premiere musicians, including members of Dio, Sabbath, Bonham, Giuffria, Ratt, Wasp, Ike & TinaTurner Band,Whitesnake, Billy Idol, etc.

As of the time of this writing STONEBREED is recording their debut CD, and is looking for a release date of Christmas 2011.
With this band Carlos finally feels at home in sunny Southern California, as the frontman Singer/Song Writer for the Rock Band STONEBREED!