Gospel singer is praising the Lord following home rehab by the CRA
By Andy Greenman
A blues singer has changed her tune following a home rehabilitation by the CRA.
Sherley Miller took over her mother’s century-old house on Faxon Avenue after she passed in 2003. Her mother, Lillian, was an Evangelist who created a spiritual atmosphere inside their home. She would invite children off the street for ministry, host prayer groups, and hold every family gatherings. One thing that wasn’t allowed was blues music.
“My mom was old-fashioned,” Miller said of her mother.
A year later, Miller lost her husband, Charles. Known as the “First Lady of Beale Street,” Miller found herself living the blues after her losses. She had already sang alongside greats like Albert King, Denise LaSalle, Rufus Thomas, and Earl “The Pearl” Banks.
However, singing the blues on Beale Street wasn’t paying the bills. She needed a job that provided benefits to support her family, and FedEx came to the rescue.
“I would sing on Beale Street and have to go to work at FedEx to make ends meet,`` she recalled.
CONSTRUCTION
Working around the clock was a blessing for Miller; she enjoyed her busy schedule. Once she completed the payments on her house, she retired from performing on Beale. However, after the house was paid off, it began to deteriorate.
“We used to have to put buckets all around to catch the water coming from the roof,” Miller remembers. “I found a raccoon in my house. The floors were torn up. The walls and windows were damaged. You would have to redo the whole house in order to repair it.”
That’s when she found help. Miller applied for the Single-Family Home Rehabilitation (SFHR) program through the CRA to repair her home. In the spring of 2025, she worked with CRA staff to identify the most critical repairs needed.
The roof and ceilings needed attention, as did the kitchen, floors, basement stairs, floor joists, storm doors, flood lights, windows, and the walls. The front porch cement was cracked and broken, and a staircase was needed at the back exit. All of these items were successfully addressed. Miller even received central air for the first time.
She also received additional support from her family, especially her granddaughter, who helped decorate and optimize the house.
COMPLETION
“A lot of family members can’t believe this is the same house. I never dreamed it would look like this. I am so thankful,” she expressed.
Lillian would be beaming with joy knowing her daughter has received these upgrades. She would also be proud to see that Sherley no longer sings the blues. The soundwaves inside now reverberate with songs of the Lord. Miller looks back on her late nights on Beale Street with joy, but she grins as she looks ahead.
“I know greater is later. My last days will be my best days,`` Miller said.
