For someone who spent a lifetime in music and entertainment, and in bringing others into that world either for a career or for a brief time, Fred Allen has shied away from the limelight. 

But for the past week, the founder of Thomasville Music and Drama Troupe and his wife Winnie have been feted and hailed for all they have done for the community and for generations of young people. 

The book “Crescendo,” co-written by the Allens’ grandson, is now available. A tremendous crowd turned out for Monday night’s book launch and The Bookshelf was packed Tuesday night for a book signing event.

“Crescendo” chronicles Fred Allen’s difficult upbringing in LaGrange and follows him to meeting Winnie and then to the bright lights of the Big Apple

To celebrate the book and the Allens, former Troupe members and others traveled from far and wide — across the U.S. and even across the Atlantic Ocean — and included former Miss Georgias among their ranks.

“In a world where success is measured by fame and fortune, Fred’s story matters more than ever,” Allen Cheney, the Allens’ grandson and book’s co-author, wrote in the book’s preface. “It teaches us the value of a meaningful life, a life of purpose, a life well-lived.”

As Cheney said at Tuesday’s book signing, “students who come from this town and have gone all over the world, not just this country, and said the gifts they were given in Music and Drama Troupe helped them to grow and become better people in every aspect of their life.”

It was a story that almost didn’t get told, until Cheney convinced his grandfather it needed to see the light of day. It is a remarkable story and deserved to be told.

For a couple who chose Thomasville as a place to live well into their adult lives, they made it their home and gave to the community more than anyone could have hoped.

We are glad, as are generations of young people who have gone on to accomplish so much in their lives because of the Allens’ influence, that they did and they are more than deserving of all the accolades, acclaim and affection showered upon them.