GROWING up in church, singing came to Ezzie Crandon naturally. He wasn’t the only singer in the family and had begun singing when he was just three years old.

His first public performance was when the late President of Guyana, Desmond Hoyte, visited his home village of Fyrish, Corentyne, Berbice and he sang for him.

Eventually, his singing was restricted to church alone. It later took off when he got opportunities to perform in Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados.

Crandon also performed locally in almost every region and participated in many musical productions given that he was multi-talented and could coordinate music well.

The devoted Christian remembers visiting places such as Orealla, Pomeroon, Linden, the North West District, Essequibo and other areas to perform.

He noted that he sang at the Wesleyan Church in Berbice before he became an Adventist 12 years ago.

Crandon told this publication that in addition to his gospel singing talents, he performs at events such as weddings, graduations, national events, including at the Umana Yana, for Easter productions, among others.

He has a great appreciation for all types of music since the messages are all positive, especially those about black development and freedom.

Among his favourite artistes are Bob Marley, Whitney Houston, and Lionel Harris. He also has a deep love for classical music.

The 42-year-old father of three boys said he often gives back to society freely since he views his talent as something bestowed by God, and as such, feels compelled to share it with others without expecting money.

The singer, while being interviewed, recalled losing his singing voice for four months due to an illness. He saw this as a sign that he should share his gift of singing freely with others.

Today, Crandon, who came from humble beginnings, lives at Providence, East Bank Demerara with his wife and sons and attends Ephesus Seventh Day Adventist Church at Smyth Street, Charlestown.

According to him, his sons are also gifted singers, emphasising that they display more talent than he did at their age. He is considering taking them abroad so that they can receive the necessary training to perfect their voices and utilise their talent effectively.

Meanwhile, Crandon stated that it has been his lifelong dream to pursue studies in music philology, and he hopes to embark on that educational journey one day.

He added that he manages his own production company and likes to share his talent with others.

Crandon worked at the University of Guyana (UG) and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) for years and is presently in his final year of the Communication Studies degree programme at UG.