
Crescendo
The Story of a Musical Genius Who Forever Changed a Southern Town
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $25.19
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Allen Cheney
About this listen
A story of mercy, miracles, and melody - and above all else: love.
During the Great Depression, Fred Allen is born poor and hungry in the shadow of rural Georgia’s infamous cotton mills. By the time Fred is three years old, he can play hymns on the piano without missing a note. In kindergarten, he amazes adults with Chopin. Terrified that Fred’s genius is proof of a curse, his parents lock away the piano.
Cut off from his only source of joy, little Fred sinks into the chasms of neglect, depression, and hunger. Then Eleanor, a woman just released from prison for attempted murder, rents a room in his family’s deteriorating home. Under her fierce eye, Fred is protected, fed, and loved. “You gotta find a way to get out,” Eleanor says. “You were born for so much more than this.”
Fred undertakes an arduous but miraculous journey through the Juilliard School in New York City, Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University, and eventually the professional music scene. With the help of a few miracles, he climbs the ladder of success, marries, becomes a father and a scholar, and establishes an enviable reputation as a Grammy-nominated music producer.
Then in heartbreaking speed, Fred’s past catches up with him, and his family becomes divided. He must choose either to pursue his dreams of fame and success or love.
But miracles aren’t just for those with big-city dreams. In Thomasville, Georgia, amid the wreckage of his history, Fred and his resilient wife, Winnie, reassemble the pieces of their lives and encounter what just might be the greatest miracle yet - not just for them but for the entire town.
This inspiring story is sure to encourage anyone who has ever hoped their creative abilities might touch the lives of others.
©2019 Allen Cheney (P)2019 Thomas NelsonListeners also enjoyed...
-
The Great Unexpected
- By: Dan Mooney
- Narrated by: Aidan Kelly
- Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Joel lives in a nursing home, and he’s not one bit happy about it. He hates being told when to eat, when to sleep, when to take his pills. He’s fed up with life and begins to plan a way out when his new roommate, a retired soap opera actor named Frank, moves in and turns the nursing-home community upside down.
-
-
Really enjoyed this
- By Carmen K. Pollic on 04-10-23
By: Dan Mooney
-
Into the Free
- By: Julie Cantrell
- Narrated by: Laura Jennings
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For answers, Millie turns to the Gypsies who caravan through town each spring. The travelers lead Millie to a key that unlocks generations of shocking family secrets. When tragedy strikes, the mysterious contents of the box give Millie the tools she needs to break her family’s longstanding cycle of madness and abuse. Through it all, Millie experiences the thrill of first love while fighting to trust the God she believes has abandoned her. With the power of forgiveness, can she finally make her way into the free?
-
-
Excellent Book! One of my favorites!
- By M. Wegner on 05-17-21
By: Julie Cantrell
-
The Feathered Bone
- By: Julie Cantrell
- Narrated by: Clifton Harris
- Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the pre-Katrina glow of New Orleans, Amanda Salassi is anxious about chaperoning her daughter's sixth-grade field trip to the Big Easy during Halloween. And then her worst fears come true. Her daughter's best friend, Sarah, disappears amid the magic and revelry - gone, without a trace. Unable to cope with her guilt, Amanda's daughter sinks into depression. And Amanda's husband turns destructive as he watches his family succumb to grief. Before long, Amanda's whole world has collapsed.
-
-
This Book was awesome!!!
- By Donna Guider on 05-15-16
By: Julie Cantrell
-
When Mountains Move
- By: Julie Cantrell
- Narrated by: Amy Rubinate
- Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Millie’s mind is racing and there seems to be no clear line between right and wrong. Either path leads to pain, and she’ll do anything to protect the ones she loves. So she decides to bury the truth and begin again, helping Bump launch a ranch in the wilds of Colorado. But just when she thinks she’s left her old Mississippi life behind, the facts surface in the most challenging way.
-
-
sequel - into the free
- By Angie on 12-07-21
By: Julie Cantrell
-
Worthy
- By: Jada Pinkett Smith
- Narrated by: Jada Pinkett Smith
- Length: 14 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jada Pinkett Smith was living what many would view as a fairy-tale of Hollywood success. But appearances can be deceiving, and as she felt more and more separated from her sense of self, emotional turmoil took hold. Sparing no detail, Worthy chronicles her life.
-
-
Budda
- By Tamiko on 10-18-23
-
Switchboard Soldiers
- A Novel
- By: Jennifer Chiaverini
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 14 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini, a bold, revelatory novel about one of the great untold stories of World War I—the women of the U.S. Army Signal Corps, who broke down gender barriers in the military and battled a pandemic as they helped lead the Allies to victory.
-
-
Having lots of trouble with the narration
- By ohva on 07-20-22
-
The Great Unexpected
- By: Dan Mooney
- Narrated by: Aidan Kelly
- Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Joel lives in a nursing home, and he’s not one bit happy about it. He hates being told when to eat, when to sleep, when to take his pills. He’s fed up with life and begins to plan a way out when his new roommate, a retired soap opera actor named Frank, moves in and turns the nursing-home community upside down.
-
-
Really enjoyed this
- By Carmen K. Pollic on 04-10-23
By: Dan Mooney
-
Into the Free
- By: Julie Cantrell
- Narrated by: Laura Jennings
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For answers, Millie turns to the Gypsies who caravan through town each spring. The travelers lead Millie to a key that unlocks generations of shocking family secrets. When tragedy strikes, the mysterious contents of the box give Millie the tools she needs to break her family’s longstanding cycle of madness and abuse. Through it all, Millie experiences the thrill of first love while fighting to trust the God she believes has abandoned her. With the power of forgiveness, can she finally make her way into the free?
-
-
Excellent Book! One of my favorites!
- By M. Wegner on 05-17-21
By: Julie Cantrell
-
The Feathered Bone
- By: Julie Cantrell
- Narrated by: Clifton Harris
- Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the pre-Katrina glow of New Orleans, Amanda Salassi is anxious about chaperoning her daughter's sixth-grade field trip to the Big Easy during Halloween. And then her worst fears come true. Her daughter's best friend, Sarah, disappears amid the magic and revelry - gone, without a trace. Unable to cope with her guilt, Amanda's daughter sinks into depression. And Amanda's husband turns destructive as he watches his family succumb to grief. Before long, Amanda's whole world has collapsed.
-
-
This Book was awesome!!!
- By Donna Guider on 05-15-16
By: Julie Cantrell
-
When Mountains Move
- By: Julie Cantrell
- Narrated by: Amy Rubinate
- Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Millie’s mind is racing and there seems to be no clear line between right and wrong. Either path leads to pain, and she’ll do anything to protect the ones she loves. So she decides to bury the truth and begin again, helping Bump launch a ranch in the wilds of Colorado. But just when she thinks she’s left her old Mississippi life behind, the facts surface in the most challenging way.
-
-
sequel - into the free
- By Angie on 12-07-21
By: Julie Cantrell
-
Worthy
- By: Jada Pinkett Smith
- Narrated by: Jada Pinkett Smith
- Length: 14 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jada Pinkett Smith was living what many would view as a fairy-tale of Hollywood success. But appearances can be deceiving, and as she felt more and more separated from her sense of self, emotional turmoil took hold. Sparing no detail, Worthy chronicles her life.
-
-
Budda
- By Tamiko on 10-18-23
-
Switchboard Soldiers
- A Novel
- By: Jennifer Chiaverini
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 14 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini, a bold, revelatory novel about one of the great untold stories of World War I—the women of the U.S. Army Signal Corps, who broke down gender barriers in the military and battled a pandemic as they helped lead the Allies to victory.
-
-
Having lots of trouble with the narration
- By ohva on 07-20-22
-
Iris Grace
- How Thula the Cat Saved a Little Girl and Her Family
- By: Arabella Carter-Johnson
- Narrated by: Anna Bentinck
- Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Iris Grace is a beautiful little girl who, from a very young age, barely communicated, avoided social interaction with other people, and rarely smiled. Both before her diagnosis of autism and after, she seemed trapped in her own world, unable to connect with those around her. One day, her mother brought home a Maine Coon kitten for Iris. Thula immediately bonded with Iris, knowing right away how to assuage Iris when she became overstimulated.
-
-
Better understanding
- By Amazon Customer on 01-17-18
-
The Wonder of Lost Causes
- A Novel
- By: Nick Trout
- Narrated by: Christina Delaine
- Length: 12 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A single mom learns that her chronically ill son can communicate with a very special dog - and the lessons this dog teaches can shape the future and transform their lives. And what Whistler inspires in Kate and Jasper may be his most important lesson of all.
-
-
Inspirational story of the human animal bond
- By lfs on 08-15-19
By: Nick Trout
-
The Good Neighbor
- The Life and Work of Fred Rogers
- By: Maxwell King
- Narrated by: LeVar Burton
- Length: 14 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The first full-length biography of Fred Rogers, The Good Neighbor tells the story of this utterly unique and enduring American icon. Drawing on original interviews, oral histories, and archival documents, Maxwell King traces Rogers’s personal, professional, and artistic life through decades of work, including a surprising decision to walk away from the show to make television for adults, only to return to the neighborhood with increasingly sophisticated episodes, written in collaboration with experts on childhood development.
-
-
Fred Rogers was the person you saw on TV
- By Adam Shields on 10-03-18
By: Maxwell King
-
Satellite Boy
- The International Manhunt for a Master Thief That Launched the Modern Communication Age
- By: Andrew Amelinckx
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On April 6, 1965, Georges Lemay was relaxing on his yacht in a south Florida marina following one of the largest and most daring bank heists in Canadian history. For four years, the roguishly handsome criminal mastermind hid in plain sight, eluding capture and the combined efforts of the FBI, Interpol, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. His future appeared secure. What Lemay didn't know was that less than two hundred miles away at Cape Canaveral, a brilliant engineer named Harold Rosen was about to usher in the age of global live television.
-
-
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED — this is a gripping history!!
- By Deborah R. Castleman on 03-22-23
By: Andrew Amelinckx
-
Just as I Am
- A Memoir
- By: Cicely Tyson, Michelle Burford
- Narrated by: Cicely Tyson, Viola Davis, Robin Miles
- Length: 16 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Just as I Am is my truth. It is me, plain and unvarnished, with the glitter and garland set aside. Here, I am indeed Cicely, the actress who has been blessed to grace the stage and screen for six decades. Yet I am also the church girl who once rarely spoke a word. I am the teenager who sought solace in the verses of the old hymn for which this book is named. I am a daughter and mother, a sister, and a friend. I am an observer of human nature and the dreamer of audacious dreams.
-
-
A Legend and National Treasure
- By Mz Fabulous on 01-29-21
By: Cicely Tyson, and others
-
More Myself
- A Journey
- By: Alicia Keys, Michelle Burford
- Narrated by: Alicia Keys, America Ferrera, Bono, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As one of the most celebrated musicians in the world, Alicia Keys has enraptured the globe with her heartfelt lyrics, extraordinary vocal range, and soul-stirring piano compositions. Yet away from the spotlight, Alicia has grappled with private heartache - over the challenging and complex relationship with her father, the people-pleasing nature that characterized her early career, the loss of privacy surrounding her romantic relationships, and the oppressive expectations of female perfection.
-
-
Title should be Safe Version of Myself
- By Mel on 04-05-20
By: Alicia Keys, and others
-
The Invincible Miss Cust
- A Novel
- By: Penny Haw
- Narrated by: Lucy Rayner
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Aleen Cust has big dreams. And no one―not her family, society, or the law―will stop her. Born in Ireland in 1868 to an aristocratic English family, Aleen knows she is destined to work with animals, even if her family is appalled by the idea of a woman pursuing a veterinary career. Going against their wishes but with the encouragement of the guardian assigned to her upon her father’s death, Aleen attends the New Veterinary College in Edinburgh, enrolling as A. I. Custance to spare her family the humiliation they fear.
-
-
Unassuming
- By Candace Bank on 04-19-23
By: Penny Haw
-
The Miracles of the Namiya General Store
- By: Keigo Higashino
- Narrated by: Brian Nishii, Sura Siu, Kyle Omori
- Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“From exactly midnight until daybreak, the Namiya General Store advice box will be reopening for one night only.” When three delinquents hole up in an abandoned general store after their most recent robbery, to their great surprise, a letter drops through the mail slot in the store’s shutter. This seemingly simple request for advice sets the trio on a journey of discovery as, over the course of a single night, they step into the role of the kindhearted former shopkeeper who devoted his waning years to offering thoughtful counsel to his correspondents.
-
-
One of my favorite books now
- By Anonymous User on 01-15-23
By: Keigo Higashino
-
The Great Dissenter
- The Story of John Marshall Harlan, America's Judicial Hero
- By: Peter S. Canellos
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 19 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
They say that history is written by the victors. But not in the case of the most famous dissenter on the Supreme Court. Almost a century after his death, John Marshall Harlan’s words helped end segregation and gave us our civil rights and our modern economic freedom. But his legacy would not have been possible without the courage of Robert Harlan, a slave who John’s father raised like a son in the same household.
-
-
A good and necessary book, BUT WHY THE BEEPS??!
- By aaron on 09-06-21
-
Unprotected
- A Memoir
- By: Billy Porter
- Narrated by: Billy Porter
- Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s easy to be yourself when who and what you are is in vogue. But growing up Black and gay in America has never been easy. Before Billy Porter was slaying red carpets and giving an iconic performance in the celebrated TV show Pose; before he was the Tony Award-winning star of Broadway’s Kinky Boots; and before he was an acclaimed recording artist, actor, playwright, and all-around diva, Porter was a young boy who didn’t fit in.
-
-
I didn't know his name
- By Julie Newkirk on 01-04-22
By: Billy Porter
-
The Woman Who Smashed Codes
- A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine who Outwitted America's Enemies
- By: Jason Fagone
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 13 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1912, at the height of World War I, brilliant Shakespeare expert Elizebeth Smith went to work for an eccentric tycoon on his estate outside Chicago. The tycoon had close ties to the US government, and he soon asked Elizebeth to apply her language skills to an exciting new venture: code breaking. There she met the man who would become her husband, groundbreaking cryptologist William Friedman. Though she and Friedman are in many ways the Adam and Eve of the NSA, Elizebeth's story, incredibly, has never been told.
-
-
Captivating Biography
- By Jean on 11-20-17
By: Jason Fagone
-
Light to the Hills
- A Novel
- By: Bonnie Blaylock
- Narrated by: Shannon McManus
- Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The folks in the Kentucky Appalachians are scraping by. Coal mining and hardscrabble know-how are a way of life for these isolated people. But when Amanda Rye, a young widowed mother and traveling packhorse librarian, comes through a mountain community hit hard by the nation’s economic collapse, she brings with her hope, courage, and apple pie.
-
-
I love this story!
- By Robert on 12-01-22
By: Bonnie Blaylock
What listeners say about Crescendo
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Incredible, couldn’t stop listening
This was simply the best audible book of someone’s life story I have ever heard. What an inspirational story of an incredible man and the woman always by his side.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Leah
- 08-10-19
It takes a village...
This is the story of a child who came from a seemingly hopeless background-who, with much of his own grit, and a community that refused to let him slip through the cracks-thrives and grows. But not without a lot of hard work. There are times he rises. Others, he falls. But he never fails.
The best part? He knows by instinct, who needs him to be that village. And he passes on the blessings. Especially to one boy who needed it so badly.
Very inspirational. Recommended for any age as the wording tells about experiences the author suffered but not graphically. Just informational.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- KR
- 11-05-19
Non-Fiction Written like a Novel
This is a wonderfully written book about a man who came from a really rough background and went on to help generations of young people rise above their circumstances.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Enso
- 07-24-24
I’m not a music person, but it’s very uplifting
A good story. Uplifting and hopeful, after the heartache. I do wish we learned what happened to his sister….
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- RENDENA
- 08-29-22
I'm glad I listened to this Book
I'm glad I picked this book, I chose it because Julie Cantrell was involved and I have become a fan of hers, and now I'm a fan of Fred Allen, because of the talent of his Grandson. Thank you for letting us all know what wonderful people the Allen's are. And I hope the legacy is never ending. Thank you again to all.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Leslie
- 08-06-19
Crescendo
What a fantastic book about a wonderful family. Inspiring and heartwarming! A wonderful book to listen to as well.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Margaret Gores
- 05-02-23
A waste of time
Overly dramatic narration and story line. Lots of people overcome adversity and serve others and their community. I made it to chapter 16 before giving up, with relief. Just too over blown.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!