It all began in the fall of 1953 in a small rural town in Alabama, actually 9 months earlier.
I was born to Cleveland and Floree Crenshaw the third of three children. My daddy was a logger at that time and worked
very hard from sun up till sun down. My first instrument was a Smoothing Iron. Most people don't know what this is, let me tell you the story behind it. My mother was a house maid and sometimes she took in washing and ironing to make extra money. In those days we didn't have running water or electricity; we had a wood burning stove, kerosene lamps for light, and drew water from a well and a fireplace to keep warm. When mother did the ironing, she used eight of these Smoothing Irons. I would place them in the fire to get hot enough for her to iron. When one got cold she would hand it to me to place in the fire, this way she never had to wait for one to get hot. She told that at the age of three, I would take those irons and line them up in the fireplace, beginning with the lowest pitch to the highest pitch, and I would play nursery rhyme songs on the iorns with a stick and she would recognize each song. She knew then that I had a God given gift of music. Because of this she started sending me to piano lessons at the age of six. My brother and sister were lots older than me, but we were very close in our early years. We lived in the country and had al lot of space to play, from pine forests to unplowed open fields to play ball, ride bikes, hunt birds with B.B. guns. However I spent most of my time practicing the piano while the other children were playing ball in the fields. In all my travels I never gave up my gift of music, I played night clubs from the early 70’s to the early 80’s. My mom told me that no matter where life takes me, never forget my roots, that being the love of God. Although I played night clubs, I still went to church every Sunday, and still do today as a Minister of music and gave up the night life. My parents were the greatest influence in my life, the values they taught I live by today. The life experiences gave me knowledge. It is my prayer that this site be a blessing and inspiration to everyone who visits and may you continue to be abundantly blessed.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2The same was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." John 1:1-3 This means all music was created by GOD in the beginning, when GOD said "LET THERE BE" and it was, in the beginning and is now, satan never created a single note. As beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so is music to the ear of the listener. Think about it.
Smoothing Iorn
