Crandall Creek hitting the charts

      Crandall Creek continues to make waves on the bluegrass charts. 

      Drivin’ Me Insane hit the charts in March and settled in for a total of 28 weeks so far. The song stayed in the top 5 of the Bluegrass Today Grassicana Weekly Airplay Chart for several months. Drivin’ Me Insane also has appeared on the Fan Voted Chart.

      This Heart of Mine debuted at No. 1 when it was released in May. 

      This fall saw the release of a third single, The Bean Song. By November The Bean Song and Drivin’ Me Insane were in the top 10 of the Bluegrass Today chart. The singles also appeared on The Bluegrass Jamboree chart.

      The three songs are from the band’s upcoming CD, Headed South. The album is in the final stages of production and will be available in December. 

      Jerry Andrews of Moundsville, rhythm guitar and vocals, founded the band in 2015. He is joined by:

· Kathy Wigman Lesnock of West Finley, Pennsylvania, lead and harmony vocals.

· Dustin Terpenning of Bloomingdale, Ohio, banjo, mandolin and guitar.

· Abby Latocha of Mannington, West Virginia, lead and harmony vocals, guitar and mandolin.

· Trish Imbrogno of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, upright bass and vocals.

· Wyatt Kidd of Moundsville, West Virginia, fiddle.

· Roger Hoard of Wheeling, West Virginia, guest lead guitarist.

      While Jerry and Kathy are principal songwriters, Abby, Dustin, other band members and even family collaborate on the songs. The result is original bluegrass and gospel true to the band’s Appalachian roots.

      Jamie Peck of Jamie Peck Productions in Wheeling records and produces Crandall Creek. Mastering is by JP McMullen III of Highland Mastering in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Bruce Winges of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, handles the band’s publicity and media.

This article is a contribution from Bruce Winges, recently retired as Editor of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Are you 45 years old? Are you turning 50?

If so, Jerry Andrews of Crandall Creek has a message for you: Get a colonoscopy. 

When Jerry turned 50, he did not undergo the cancer screening procedure – he didn’t think he needed it.

Now, some 14 years later, the founder of the West Virginia bluegrass band wishes he had. This July Jerry finally had a colonoscopy. A week later Jerry was told he has colon cancer.

“I could kick myself for not doing this when I was 50,” Jerry says. “At that time, the doctors just would have had to remove a polyp.”

Now Jerry is facing surgery for colon cancer.  

Admittedly, most people can find plenty of reasons to avoid getting a colonoscopy. At 50, Jerry was living a clean, healthy lifestyle as he always has and still does. He does not drink or smoke.  

But in 2019 his sister-in-law was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Seven months later she passed away at age 65. That convinced Jerry to get the test.

Patients who are 50 or older account for 91 percent of new colon cancer cases.

The American Cancer Society recommends that people start screening for colon cancer at age 45, and people in good health should be screened every 10 years. Removing precancerous polyps by colonoscopy reduces the chance of getting colon cancer by up to 70 percent. 

Jerry says his doctors are optimistic. The tumor is small. The next step is a screening to see if the cancer has spread. If that comes back clean, then Jerry is facing surgery and a good possibility of recovery. 

Bluegrass singer and songwriter Steve Gulley also has been diagnosed with cancer. 

Jerry wants to help through his Bluegrass Music Endeavors Foundation, a non-profit 501c3. The members of Crandall Creek donate a portion of the money they make to deserving charities through the foundation. They plan on making a donation to Steve. 

(A GoFundMe campaign also has been launched to help Steve.)

If all goes well with Jerry, he will be back with Crandall Creek in the fall. The high-energy bluegrass band three original songs this year – Drivin’ Me Insane, This Heart of Mine, and Headed South. The songs are getting noticed and are receiving airplay. 

“I won’t be able to lift anything or drive for a while,” Jerry says. “But I did ask the doctor if it would be OK to lift a guitar and he said that would be fine.”

In the meantime, Jerry hopes that by sharing his story, someone will get a colonoscopy. 

So… are you turning 50?

Bruce Winges retired as editor of the Akron Beacon Journal after more than 40 years in newspapering. He got his first guitar in 1969, and became hooked on old-time music and bluegrass while working in Huntington, WV. He lives in Ohio and sits in with his brother-in-law’s band, Crandall Creek, whenever he can.