Memphis musician Michael Crews, 36, of 1411 Woodbend, died early Saturday after his car left the highway and hit a tree on East Parkway north of Central, authorities said. Crews was a singer and guitar player. He played lead guitar in several bands that backed nationally known performers such as Keith Sykes and Jimmy Buffett. In 1978, Crews was a winner in the American Song Festival for his vocal talents. In recent years, Crews had been lead vocalist and guitar player for the Mike Crews Band. The group played at local nightspots. Crews also co-owned Crews Courier Service with his father, George Crews. "I'm sure that he will be missed because everyone knew him. He was a great musician and was always willing to help others that he could," said J. W. Whitten, a local music video producer. Crews was driving a 1991 Honda Civic north on East Parkway about 3 a.m. when he struck a curb, traveled across the median and hit a tree, according to police. The band played at the Sports Bar and Grill on Mendenhall near Winchester on Friday night and Saturday morning, stopping about 2 a.m. "They were an excellent rock and roll band," said Alberta Stanford, weekend manager at the club. Crews graduated from Sheffield High School. He was a member of Phi Kappa fraternity, and graduated magna cum laude from Memphis State University in 1979 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. Services will be at 1 p.m. Monday at Memphis Funeral Home Poplar Chapel with burial in Forest Hill Cemetery Midtown. Crews was a member of Parkway Village Baptist Church and the Musicians Union. Crews leaves his parents, George and Shirley Maupin Crews, and his grandfather, George A. Crews, all of Memphis. The family requests that any memorials be sent to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. (Published in The Comemrcial Appeal 6/9/1991

Provided by:Carole McCaig