The group started out calling themselves just the "Crossmen," but when they met another group out of Kentucky with the same name, they added "Carolina" to their name.
"To get five stubborn men to agree to anything is hard," said Ashe.
First, Ashe said, the group represents God, "but when we're out on the road touring, we're ambassadors for Jackson County, too."
"Because this county has been so good to us, we felt a strong desire to give back to the county by giving a free concert," Scott said about the Cullowhee Valley School event, which was picked as the site and the first singing was held in June 1995. The event was so successful that it evolved into an annual event, with other performers joining in, filling the gymnasium with gospel music.
"If we charged, there might be some folks who couldn't come, and we want everybody who can to come," Locust said.
Concessions are operated by the CVS Athletic Booster Club and through those proceeds the school has purchased uniforms.
This year's annual event has been expanded into three days - Friday through Sunday, May 5, 6 and 7. Sunday's activities include a non-denominational worship service conducted by the Rev. Tom Harris.
"So many people come from out of town for this event and aren't sure where to go to church, so they helped us decide to just provide church there for them," said Scott. After the service, the booster club will provide a Sunday dinner, with the singing starting at 2 p.m. and featuring the Good Shepherd Quartet and the Smoky Mountain Boys.
Friday's performers will be the Primitive Quartet and the Jody Brown Family. Saturday night will be the Whisnants and the Tradition. The Carolina Crossmen will perform all three days. Singing starts both nights at 7 p.m.
"Free, good, quality, clean Christian entertainment - it will be a lot of fun for the whole family," said Fiskeaux.
When John's fingers start pumping out "Jesus Made a Difference in My Life" on the piano, every foot in the house, from high-powered Nikes to orthopedic Soft Spots, will start pumping with him. When the group breaks into the humorous "Noah's Ark," children especially like to join in on the "flippers, feathers, furs, tusk and tails" part, group members say.
"We - the Carolina Crossmen - love to have fun, but we know how to get serious," Fiskeaux said. Like last weekend when some folks kicked back and watched television or puttered in their yard and garden. The Crossmen logged 1,487 miles on a road trip to Port Charlotte, Fla., leaving at 8 p.m. Friday after working a full week at their regular jobs.
Arriving at Port Charlotte Saturday morning, they quickly found the place they were to perform, set up their equipment and ran through a practice before heading back to the motel for a few winks before their performance. On Sunday they performed at a church service there, then drove the 14 hours back home and were on the job at 8 a.m. Monday morning.
"We travel practically every weekend. Some people think we just ride up and down the road having a big ole time," said Blanton, who takes care of the bookings. "The truth is, we don't get much sleep, and it's a sacrifice to leave our families on the weekend. We've come within five miles of the ocean and never got the time see the first wave."
"God called us into this ministry," each professed in unison. "Nobody would put this wear and tear on their bodies if they didn't have a real commitment. But when God gives you the calling, he gives you the ways and means to do it," said Ashe, a courier mail clerk at Southwestern Community College.
Blanton and Scott work for the N.C. Department of Transportation, Fiskeaux is an electronic technician at Western Carolina University and Locust, a self-employed piano technician, tunes and sells pianos.
To see the Lord work in other people's lives in the Carolina Crossmen's reward.
"It's the greatest thing to watch how the spirit moves people and to know you've been a small part of it," said Fiskeaux.
"No telling how many lives we've helped save; sometimes we stay and help counsel one or two in the crowd who has a special need," said Scott.
Sometimes that staying behind has had added benefits. "Once we come up on this big wreck on I-95. We'd stayed behind that evening and prayed with a couple who were getting ready to divorce. By the time we left late that evening, they had decided to get back together. If we hadn't stayed behind with them, we would have been right smack in that wreck," Ashe said.
Another dark night out in the middle of nowhere, Blanton remembered when they had bus trouble.
"I called a mechanic in Bryson City on my cell phone and he told us what to do. Just then the phone beeped and went dead... giving us the out-of-range message. Once again, we missed it by a narrow scrape," he said. "God looks out for us, there's no doubt about it. I believe where God guides, He provides."
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