George Beverly Shea
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George Beverly Shea is the music minister during Billy Graham's crusades.
Who is George Beverly Shea?Since George Beverly Shea first sang for Billy Graham on the Chicago radio hymn program, "Songs in the Night," in 1943, he has carried the Gospel in song to every continent and every state in the Union. He is the recipient of ten Grammy nominations, one Grammy Award (1965) and is a member of the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame (1978). As the musical mainstay in Mr. Graham's crusades, Bev Shea is often called "America's Beloved Gospel Singer." However, he cannot be claimed by any one country--a Canadian by birth, he is a favorite of people in many nations. Born in Winchester, Ontario,Canada on February 1, 1909, where his father was a Wesleyan Methodist minister, Mr. Shea's first public singing was in the choir of his father's church. Later, he sang with the Houghton (N.Y.) College Glee Club. Through the years, Mr. Shea has been one of the busiest men on the Billy Graham Evangelistic Team. Between crusade, radio, and television dates in many countries, he has sung hundreds of concerts and recorded more than 70 albums of sacred music--including nine CDs. Every hymn he sings is a testimony to the saving power of Jesus Christ and to Shea's faith in Him. He is a noteworthy composer, and the songs he has written incorporate the same message. He composed the music at age 23 to one of his best-known solos, "I'd Rather Have Jesus," to words by Mrs. Rhea H. Miller. The poem had been left on the family piano by Shea's mother, and after reading the words he sat at the piano and composed the tune. He also wrote "The Wonder of It All," "Sing Me A Song of Sharon's Rose," and "I Love Thy Presence, Lord." His most recent CD, entitled "Out In The Country," was released by Homeland Records. Mr. Shea has utilized all available media to share the "Good News" of Jesus Christ. From 1952, he was heard regularly on network radio, and in more recent years his bass-baritone voice has been transmitted on weekly shortwave programs around the world. Mr. Shea's network radio singing started on "Club Time," a program carried for more than eight years on ABC, the Armed Forces network, and many independent stations. When Billy Graham, then pastor of the Village Church in Western Springs, Illinois, took over the "Songs in the Night" radio program on Chicago's WCFL in 1943, he recalled hearing Shea's radio singing and enlisted him to help with the broadcast. That was the beginning of a long association between Mr. Graham and Mr. Shea. In 1947 Shea went to Graham's hometown, Charlotte, N.C., to sing in the first of Mr. Graham's city-wide crusades. The fledgling evangelistic team worked together in several other crusades, and in 1949 the famous Los Angeles tent meetings catapulted Mr. Graham and his associates to national attention. From there, the team went on to share the Gospel on every continent. Because of Mr. Shea's weekly singing on the "Hour of Decision" radio broadcast since 1950 and his numerous personal appearances, his voice is recognized now in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, South America, and throughout North America. Since the beginning of Mr. Graham's crusade ministry, Shea and Cliff Barrows have been the nucleus of the crusade musical team. Barrows is choir director, platform emcee, and radio-television program director. They were joined in 1950 by pianist Tedd Smith, and through the years, organists Don Hustad and John Innes have provided additional accompaniment. Mr. Shea is noted for the simplicity of his faith and testimony. To him, compromise is unthinkable. All his life and work is aimed at telling "of the Christ who died for me." A man of deep sympathies, he will listen endlessly to the troubles of others but dismiss his own with a word and a smile. For his significant contributions to Gospel music, he was inducted into the National Religious Broadcasting Hall of Fame (NRB) in February 1996. As a special honor, in 1998 the North Carolina Public Television Station produced Mr. Shea's life story, "The Wonder of it All," titled after one of his most popular gospel songs.
An insurance man who switched from insuring lives to showing people how to insure their souls, George Beverly Shea is known around the world as "America's Beloved Gospel Singer."..To Bev Shea, every hymn he sings is a testimony - to the saving power of Christ, and to the singer's faith in Him. This approach accounts for his reverent treatment of "old favorites" among Gospel hymns as well as newer compositions which carry this message. He has been heard throughout the United States and Canada, in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and South America. Seven networks carry his solos in the famous "Hour of Decision" broadcasts, while shortwave radio sends them around the world. RCA Victor has released more than a dozen LP albums of his recordings...Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, the son of a Methodist minister, Bev did his first public singing in the choir of his father's church in that city. Later, he sang with the famous Houghton (N.Y.) College Glee Club. After leaving Houghton, he worked for nine years in the Head Office of Mutual Life of New York, but continued his music study and was heard over WMCA and WMGM...Mr. Shea auditioned for radio networks but refused two offers that would have required the singing of non-religious songs because he had dedicated his life to the service of Christ. Later, at the invitation of the late Dr. Will Houghton, President of Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, he joined the staff of the Christian station, WMBI, as announcer and soloist. In Chicago he studied under Gino Monaco, who had been recommended to him by John Charles Thomas...Bev composed the music for "I'd Rather Have Jesus," one of his best-known solos. Mrs. Rhea H. Miller had written the words, and the singer's mother had left a copy of them on the piano, where Bev found them. He has never altered the tune which he composed at that time. It has become a favorite with millions and the permanent testimony of his own faith. Other songs written by Mr. Shea are "The Wonder of It All," "Sing Me a Song of Sharon's Rose" and "I Love Thy Presence, Lord."..Mr. Shea was for a time a soloist on "Club Time," second oldest hymn program on commercial radio and carried for eight years over the ABC and Armed Forces Networks and many independent stations. When Billy Graham, then pastor of the Village Church in Western Springs, Illinois, started his "Songs in the Night" hymn program, he recalled his enjoyment of Bev's singing and obtained him as soloist. Later, Mr. Shea became the soloist of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Team...Since 1947, Bev Shea and cliff Barrows, choir leader and radio program director, have been the musical nucleus of both the Crusade services and "The Hour of Decision." Ably supporting them are Tedd Smith at the piano, with Don Hustad or John Innes at the organ...The tall singer whose resonant voice is known and loved by millions, is noted for the simplicity of his faith and the clean-cut nature of his code. To Bev Shea, compromise is unthinkable. Every word he sings must tell the story "of the Christ Who Died for me." A man of deep sympathies, he will listen endlessly to the troubles of others and dismiss his own with a word and a smile. He makes his home with his wife and their son and daughter in Western Springs, Illinois. When traveling, as he is most of the time, he finds relaxation in wiring and assembling a three-manual electronic organ, the parts for which he carries in an attache case. Source: http://www.gmahalloffame.org/inductee_bio.cfm?ID=343
Source: Encyclopedia of Music in Canada Music Recorded by George Beverly Shea
Echoes Of My Soul (1997)
How Sweet the Sound: My All-Time Favorites (2004)
I'd Rather Have Jesus: A 20-Song Treasury (2006)
If That Isn't Love (1999)
Our Recollections (1996)
Senior Select: The Very Best Of George Beverly Shea (2003) Books Authored by George Beverly Shea
George Beverly Shea shares his love of music and the Lord in this collection of stories, memories, and reflections on favorite hymns and gospel songs. Each story includes lyrics of a beloved song, historical notes and memories from Shea's life of singing, as well as devotional reflections. Shea tells stories about composers and people whose lives have been affected by various songs. ISBN: 978-0-8423-7042-4 Release Date: March 2004 Buy this book from ChristianBook.com This article is a stub. If you have information to help make this page more accurate, please contact us. If you would like content on this page removed from our database, please contact us. To link to this page from your web site, blog, social networking site, Twitter feed or e-mail message, use the byline "From David Spencer's Media Spin <http://media.davidspencer.ca>." |
