CRANK, WILLIAM THOMAS “TOMMY” (1926-2007)

Born in McKee, Kentucky, Tommy Crank was heavily into religion, eventually becoming a minister. He moved to Ohio as a young man where he preached and sang both church music and bluegrass. Later on, he moved to Jackson, Michigan, and began producing records on his Irma label. He produced Wade Mainer, Lowell Varney, Ralph Stanley, Carl Story, Hylo Brown, and Jimmy Williams and Red Ellis. Tommy came back to Ohio and worked as a deejay at WPFB in Middletown, renewing an old friendship with Joe and Lily Isaacs, who backed him on an LP. He did four albums for Pine Tree Records in Hamilton, as well as records on Golden Eagle, Old Homestead, and Irma.