The romance between Christian musician Leanna Crawford and her basketball star husband is truly remarkable, merging the realms of two high-profile careers.
Crawford, whose debut album is set to release on July 19, has seen several of her songs, including “Mean Girls” and “Truth I’m Standing On,” climb the Billboard Hot Christian Songs chart. Her husband, NBA center Cody Zeller of the Atlanta Hawks, stands tall at 6-foot-11 and boasts an 11-year career since being a first-round pick in 2013.
Their 2023 wedding was highlighted in People Magazine, where Crawford performed a song she wrote for him titled “Vow to Be Yours.” This heartfelt gesture was a memorable part of their special day.
“It’s been so much fun. I feel like it’s been very sweet,” Crawford told Crosswalk Headlines about their marriage. “We were long-distance up until we got married. And then we got married. And we were still kind of long distance because we both travel a lot. But it’s been sweet. He’s my best friend.”
Zeller, she said, is “very competitive” and enjoys making up games out of everyday events. That often puts the 5-foot-4 Crawford at a disadvantage. “He’s a lot of fun,” she added, laughing.
Crawford’s debut album, Still Waters, includes 14 songs, including the title track—Still Waters (Psalm 23)—that she penned about her great aunt, a devoted woman of God who died at the age of 105. Crawford’s mother was led to Jesus, in part, thanks to the aunt’s testimony and faith.
Crawford’s great aunt’s faith had a major impact on her life. “She really was just an incredible woman who loved Jesus, loved people, and found out she was going blind in her 40s,” she said. “And with that diagnosis, she decided to memorize the Bible.”
Crawford wants her music to give people a “sense of hope,” reminding them “they’re loved by just an incredible, incredibly loving father.” The title track is based on the comforting message of Psalm 23, she said.
“When I hear those words,” she said of the famous passage, “I have a sense of peace because I’m like, okay, God’s got it. The Lord is my shepherd — He’s got it. He’s in control. I don’t need to be stressed.”
Crawford began sensing God’s call on her life at the age of 16. “I went on a mission trip to Haiti with my church,” she said. “… That was like one of the first times that I really spent alone time with Jesus — I would get up really early before anybody else on the trip.
“So, on that trip, I felt Him calling me to do music,” she said. “I had no idea what that meant. I had no idea how to do that. No one did music in our small town. I had been leading worship at church and writing songs. And that was about it.”
In 2016, she met a Christian artist who invited her to Nashville to write songs. In 2019, she signed with her label, Provident.
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