BRETHREN, Mich. (WWJ) – The man behind one of the most famous voices in movie history now has his legacy forever encased outside the small-town Michigan school where he found that voice.
The Arts and Culture Alliance of Manistee County on Monday unveiled a statue of legendary actor James Earl Jones and his mentor and English teacher, Donald Crouch.
The ACA commissioned the life-sized sculptures of the two men to be installed in front of the Kaleva-Norman-Dickson School in Brethren where Jones attended and Crouch taught. The project aims to shine a spotlight on the impact mentors can have on young minds.
Not many people know, Jones once had an overwhelming stutter that made it nearly impossible for him to talk after moving with his family from Mississippi to Michigan as a child. But Crouch noticed the eventual movie star had a penchant for poetry.
After reading the poem, “Ode to a Winter Grapefruit,” Crouch selected it to be read in front of the class, according to the ACA.
“While practicing the poem’s delivery, James discovered memorization allowed him to speak without a stutter. Since then, he’s credited Mr. Crouch’s mentorship for helping him “find his voice,” a press release from the ACA said.
Jones would go on to attend the University of Michigan on a scholarship. He eventually found his way to the silver screen, perhaps best known for being the voice of Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” series and Mufasa in “The Lion King.”
While Jones, 92, did not make it to the ceremony in Brethren – just east of Manistee near the shores of Lake Michigan – he says he tries to visit as often as he can. He shared a recorded voice message to be shared at the ceremony.
“This is James Earl Jones. A mentor is someone who guides a less capable person by building trust and modeling positive behavior. An effective mentor understands that their role is to be dependable, engaged, authentic and tuned into the needs of the student,” he said. “That is what Donald Crouch was able to do and represented me and the rest of my class at Brethren High School. My case was severe because I was a stutterer unable to carry on a conversation of any length. He built enough confidence for me to finish high school and go on to the University of Michigan with a full scholarship. I would like to keep this simple, but there is nothing simple about professor Crouch.”
The ACA’s project has been completed, but the group is still hoping to reach its fundraising goal of $110,000 for community support.