Sigma Alpha Iota

'musical milestones' Editor's Note: Chris Neal's article first appeared in M Music & Musicians Magazine in July. W ith a population of about 10,000 and the laid-back city motto "Where the Living Is Easy," Kennett, Mo., was a perfectly lovely place to grow up. But when the Crow family wanted a little more excitement in the late 1960s and '70s, the preferred destination was the bustling city of Memphis — 100 miles down the historic "Blues Highway," U.S. Route 61. "Memphis was definitely the big city for us," remembers Sheryl Crow. "People didn't travel as much when I was a kid. We would go there twice or maybe three times a year. We'd go see Santa Claus at Goldsmith's, which was the big department store there. I got my orthodonture in Memphis! It was a big deal, a big outing to drive over to Memphis." From very early on, Crow was aware that the big city was not just a primo place to see Santa but a hotbed of wonderful music. As a child, her imagination was fired by the R&B and soul songs that traveled on the airwaves to Missouri from Memphis radio stations. She soon learned that much of that music was actually being created in Memphis itself. "I was always aware of Beale Street, of the legacy of music that came out of there," she says. Crow quickly made the transition from listening to music she loved into making music herself, encouraged by her trumpet-playing father and piano-teacher mother. She eventually graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in piano and voice [after initiating with SAI's Iota Lambda Chapter], and taught music before heading to Los Angeles to pursue a career as an artist. She broke through with her debut album, 1993's Tuesday Night Music Club, and has gone on to establish herself as one of the rock world's premier singer-songwriters. Over the last 17 years, Crow has sold more than 16 million albums in the U.S. alone, won nine Grammys and collaborated with everyone from Eric Clapton and John Mayer to Stevie Nicks and the Dixie Chicks. During the last decade, public attention has focused as much on Crow's personal life as her music. Her three-year relationship with champion cyclist Lance Armstrong made news, as did her treatment for breast cancer and her advocacy for environmental causes. She adopted an infant son, Wyatt, in 2007, followed by another, Levi, in June. Crow reports that Wyatt, now 3, has already demonstrated an interest in music. "Oh, man, let me tell you," she says. "The kid is going to be a drummer, there's no question in my mind. He got a drum kit when he was 2, and he's so into time and rhythm. I want to say he's pretty gifted — but I am his mom, so I'm biased." CROW continued on page 12 SOUL SiSTER SAI's Sheryl Crow Tops Charts With Latest Album 'You can't just keep doing the same things as an artist. You've got to stay alive and stay interested and keep growing.' Photos: Universal Music Group/Mark Seliger sai-national.org FALL 2010 PAN PIPES 11

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