Cela Harper doesn’t just sing songs. she tells the kind of stories you feel in your bones.

With roots stretching from the Midwest to East Texas and a sound that blends Americana grit with Texas country charm, Cela (see-luh) has built a reputation for clever lyrics, genuine connection, and a style that’s unmistakably her own.

Diagnosed at 18 with auditory processing disorder, Cela wears hearing aids on and off stage. It’s a challenge that forced her to relearn how to hear and use her voice. That resilience has become part of her artistry, adding depth and authenticity to every performance.

While a student at Texas Tech, Cela became a two-time finalist in the Bluelight Live Singer-Songwriter Competition (2022, 2023) and, in 2024, earned a wild card spot in the semi-finals of Larry Joe Taylor’s Songwriter Showcase. In 2025, she released Liar Liar, her first fully-produced single, which charted on Texas Country Radio.

Her live show is where it all comes together: sassy yet classy, heartfelt yet hard-hitting. She’s opened for Treaty Oak Revival, Wade Bowen, the Teague Brothers, and Parker Ryan, and taken the stage at venues including Love and War in Plano, Texas Music City in Lindale, and the prestigious Hotel Drover Stockyards in Ft. Worth. A career milestone came early, when she reached the American Idol Celebrity Judge Round in November 2019.

Whether she’s in a small listening room or under festival lights, Cela brings grit, grace, and a spark of mischief, leaving every audience feeling like they’ve just made a new friend.