Benjamin Sherman Crothers was born May 23, 1910. He was the youngest of five children. As a teenager, he worked as a shoeshine boy and entertained his customers as he shined their shoes. He would get a rhythm going with his rag and sing. He had a natural gift and everyone liked him.

Some of his early work was in the red light district of Terre Haute, Indiana. He worked in the roadhouses singing and playing drums. He met a lot of gangsters--his biggest tipper was Al Capone. Young Scatman was able to help his family with the money he made. He quit school in the 10th grade. At 18 years old he left home.

For 50 years Scatman entertained. He was known as an ultimate showman. He traveled all around the U.S. and Europe. He was one of the first Negro entertainers to work white-only venues.