| According to
family members and long time close friends, Torone Crawford was born with a microphone in
his hand. However, the microphone during that time was a broom, a mop, a brush, or
whatever else he could get his hands on to pretend he was singing or speaking to an
audience only he could see. For Torone, his remarkable journey ordained by God began
several years ago in Washington, D.C., while attending a Christian Leadership Conference.
The day prior to that conference, he found himself on his face in the bedroom
crying out to God for purpose and direction for his life. "I was having a true, heart-to-heart with
God. I remember telling Him, that I didn't want to believe I'd come this far for
nothing and I truly desired a personal word from Him concerning my life." At
the conclusion of the program the following evening, a lady he'd never met before made her
way through the crowd of well over 2,000 people to get to him. She placed her arms
around him and said, "God has spoken to me and asked me to come over here to tell
you, that He has given you a mighty ministry, and that you will speak before thousands of
people."
Although he believed and held
on to those words, one of his very first thoughts was "Lord, who's ever going to
invite me on their pulpit?" It didn't take long for him to realize that God's
thoughts were much higher than his thoughts.
Torone was soon asked (without
any prior experience) to being a radio broadcast entitled "Torone Michaels' Weekend
Gospel Celebration" a fast paced, contemporary gospel broadcast where he introduced a
new up and up coming artist to his radio audience in an exclusive interview. His
name was Kirk Franklin.
He was later asked by
management to do his broadcast six days a week. After a very short time, God
promoted Torone to program director; thus, "The Jesus Zone" was born, and the
name Torone Michaels had quickly become very familiar throughout the community.
His broadcast became the first radio broadcast, secular or gospel, ever to be
featured in a monthly magazine here in Virginia.
Torone has been recognized with
an award from "Amos Davis" Angelic Choraleers", and the "W.A.L.L.S.
Women's Alliance Group." He recently was awarded The 1998 Christian Leadership
Award. He has gone on to conduct many memorable interviews not only on radio, but on
television as well, with such Grammy Award Winner, Shirley Caesar; Rev. John P. Kee,
Vickie Winan; Tramain Hawkins; television and motion picture star, Marla Gibbs;
singer/actress Stephanie Mills; and the list goes on.
He was recently invited to our
Nation's Capital by Ms CeCe Winan to join her for a special media luncheon, and has been
invited to several pulpits.
So, "Don't touch that
dial", stay tuned!!!! The story is just beginning. |
