Cierra Mickens began singing gospel music at the age of three. Her father was an Air Force Chaplin, in charge of the music ministries in the churches over which he has presided. at age four, her family moved to Eagle River, Alaska, where her father retired and has been there ever since. Continuing to perform solo and in church and school choirs, Mickens aspired to perfect her craft. After graduating from Eagle River High School in 2009, Cierra Mickens went on to attend Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. In her sophomore year after successfully becoming a member of the school's Vocal Jazz ensemble, Mickens was able put together her own group of musicians. They called themselves PURPLE and performed every week as the house band for the Rico's, a local Pub, for the next three years. Now a college graduate, Mickens is pursuing her dream of combining her dreams of being a lawyer with her abilities as a vocalist.