Here I Am Again

DILLARD CRUME BIOGRAPHY: Many years ago, when he was just a little boy, Dillard developed the idea that he wanted to be a gospel singer. Little did he know that this childhood aspiration would someday become reality. Born in the state of Missouri, Dillard heard his first gospel quartet at the tender age of five. At the age of 81/2, he and his family migrated to the city of Chicago, Illinois. At the age of 91/2, Dillard’s oldest brother, A.C. Crume, taught all of the younger brothers to sing. There were eight boys and two girls in Dillard’s family, of which six of the boys formed a gospel group called “The Crume Brothers”, when Dillard was only 9 years of age. One of the brothers disappeared mysteriously in June, 2004, never to be heard from again to this day. After developing their singing and musical talents during the early years, the ‘Crume Brothers’ became quite famous in their own right in the city of Chicago, Il. Other professional groups began to gain an interest in the singing and musical abilities of the brothers, and at the age of 19, Dillard was approached by the famous “Five Blind Boys” of Mississippi to become their guitarist and background singer. He accepted their offer and traveled extensively within the United States. After singing and playing with the ‘Blind Boys’, Dillard became a member of the “Highway Q.Cs”, of Chicago, IL. (this is the group that Dillard first met Sam Cooke..Dillard was twelve years of age then). After his stint with the ‘Highway Q.Cs’, Dillard left the gospel field for awhile and played R&B and Rock & Roll, Blues, etc., for about 10 years. While visiting the late great “Willie Dixon” (Little Red Rooster, Wang Dang Doodle, etc.) one day, Dillard got his first chance to leave the country. Willie was the American coordinator for the “American Folk Blues Festival” of 1968, which was booked out of Frankfurt, Germany by the ‘Lippman Rau’ concert bureau, and gave Dillard the opportunity to travel to Europe as the bass player and emcee of the show, which consisted of thirteen acts including; “Son House”, “Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee”, “Little Walter”, “Houndog Taylor”, “KoKo Taylor”, “Odie Payne”, and others. After years of playing and singing R&B & Rock & Roll, which included a stint with his own band (The Soul Rockers), Dillard felt an emptiness in his life. Realizing what that emptiness was, Dillard returned to his ‘Gospel’ singing roots as the lead singer and producer of the world famous “Soul Stirrers” of Chicago, Illinois in 1976. This is the very same group that gave the world the late great “Sam Cooke”. Dillard traveled even more extensively with the ‘Soul Stirrers’, having traveled to all of the western European countries, the Caribbean, Canada, Japan, etc., singing God’s praises. This stint with the Soul Stirrers lasted for more than 25 years. After retiring for about eight years, Dillard returned to the Gospel field to form his own group called: “Dillard Crume” and "The Soul Stirrers”, and has a new CD release out at this time. Little did Dillard know when he had a dream at the tender age of five, that his dream would become reality, and allow him to travel the world over, singing and playing the music he loves. Dillard Crume PO BOX 549 Reidsville, GA 30453 912 557 3464 dilflodillard@netscape.net