UNIVERSITY TO AWARD HONORARY DEGREE TO SINGER SHERYL CROW

Singer and songwriter Sheryl Crow will take center stage here again when she receives an honorary degree May 5 from Southeast Missouri State University.

Crow will receive the degree in commencement exercises at the Show Me Center where she performed on Dec. 2 before nearly 3,000 fans, many of whom danced in the aisles to the rock 'n' roll music.

Crow, a former school teacher and University of Missouri-Columbia graduate, is no stranger to Southeast Missouri. She grew up in Kennett.

Her December performance at the Show Me Center raised money for two scholarships: Sheryl Crow School of Visual and Performing Arts Scholarship and another for the Kennett Area Higher Education Center.

The Grammy Award winner previously performed benefit concerts in Kennett in 1996 and 1997, that raised money for the Kennett Education Foundation and other civic organizations.

Crow, who learned to play piano at age 6, wrote her first song when she was 13.