Gospel Legend

Douglas MacArthur Crank tells his first-hand experiences of being a child of sharecroppers in North Carolina during the 1940s and 1950s. Poverty, racial segregation and a lack of education did not deter him from pursuing his dreams. Instead, he used these experiences as a source of inspiration to discover his passion of gospel music. A natural-born storyteller, Douglas recalls stories of childhood racism in the south, and finally moving to New York City where he struggled...
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Douglas MacArthur Crank tells his first-hand experiences of being a child of sharecroppers in North Carolina during the 1940s and 1950s. Poverty, racial segregation and a lack of education did not deter him from pursuing his dreams. Instead, he used these experiences as a source of inspiration to discover his passion of gospel music.

A natural-born storyteller, Douglas recalls stories of childhood racism in the south, and finally moving to New York City where he struggled to make his gospel dreams a reality as a musician and singer.

Douglas lived a remarkable life; his autobiography details his whirlwind adventures in New York City at the age of only 16. He later toured with the legendary gospel group Five Blind Boys of Mississippi, The Mellotones of New York, and The Skylights of New York. He played behind gospel greats such as June Chicks, Shirly Caesar and numerous other gospels acts.

Douglas was a member of groups such as The Spiritual Echoes of the Bronx, The Mighty Gospel Giants of New York and is currently a member of The Legendaires. During all this time, he raised a family in New York but remained unwaveringly true to his love of gospel music.