Number One on My Hit Parade

Larry Murante

Larry Murante

Larry Murante is coming to town and all indicators are that he is bringing Mrs. Crouch with him.  “The Ballad of Mrs. Crouch” that is.  We know that her earthly remains have been in the Fern Hill Cemetery near Menlo since her mysterious drowning in 1892.  We also know that her ghost is never far from this house where she lived as the preacher’s wife for the year previously.  What Larry carries with him is the song about her that he wrote some years ago after his first stay here.

Yesterday on FaceBook, Larry posted a video of himself in performance at The Barn in Woodinville back in 2010.  He was playing his “Mrs. C.” song – that’s how he always refers to her: “Mrs. C.” – with this accompanying text:  This coming Saturday I will be performing a special “listening room” concert at the Peninsula Arts Center in Long Beach, WA. I’ll be performing several new songs from my upcoming new CD coming out in September. Doors open at 6:30 – concert at 7PM.  Be sure to make a reservation (events@peninsulaartscenter.org) and hope to see you there!

Mrs Crouch - Track Five

Mrs Crouch – Track Five

I hope the message plus the video mean that Larry will be singing the #1 hit on my personal hit parade.  I’m not exactly sure what a “listening room” concert is, but we will definitely be there on Saturday.  If Mrs. Crouch isn’t part of the plan, maybe Larry will take a request.

It’s the refrain that I like the best.  It begins “I was never scared…” but I well remember Larry’s reaction when he first heard her story and learned he’d spent the previous night in the bedroom that she and the reverend had once occupied.  He paled, hurried through breakfast, gathered his belongings and left saying he’d love to come back but he’d bring his wife next time.  That was in 2003 after his first House Concert here.

He did bring his wife, Karen, the next time and it wasn’t too long after that that he wrote “The Ballad of Mrs. Crouch.”  The song puts a special twist on the facts of her life here in Oysterville.  I’ve always thought it was Larry’s particular brand of exorcism.  Mrs. C. must think so, too, because she has never bothered him during any of his subsequent visits.

All that notwithstanding… it’s a great song!  I hope you are there to hear it on Saturday!

One Response to “Number One on My Hit Parade”

  1. Stephanie Frieze says:

    I saw on Facebook that it’s just about a sold-out room. Wish we could be there. It’s a great little venue, but not as great as your house.

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