Reverend Anthony Johnson Showalter (1858 - 1924) was an American gospel music composer, teacher and publisher. He was born May 1, 1858 in Cherry Grove, Virginia. Showalter was trained in the Ruebush-Kieffer School of Music

Aldine Silliman Kieffer

Aldine Silliman Kieffer was a leading 19th century proponent of shape note musical notation, music teacher and publisher....

 and was teaching in singing schools by age fourteen. In 1884, he formed the Showalter Music Company of Dalton, Georgia

Dalton, Georgia

Dalton is a city in Whitfield County, Georgia, United States. It is the county seat of Whitfield County and the principal city of the Dalton, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of both Murray and Whitfield counties. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 33,128...

. He was also an elder of the First Presbyterian Church in Dalton.

Showalter's best known song is "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms is a hymn published in 1887 with music by Anthony J. Showalter and lyrics by Showalter and Elisha A. Hoffman. Showalter said that he received letters from two of his former pupils saying that their wives had died...

", which was published in 1887. He wrote the music and chorus, and Elisha A. Hoffman wrote the verses. The song features prominently in the score of Night of the Hunter

The Night of the Hunter (film)

The Night of the Hunter is a 1955 American thriller film directed by Charles Laughton and starring Robert Mitchum and Shelley Winters. The film is based on the 1953 novel of the same name by Davis Grubb, adapted for the screen by James Agee and Laughton...

and forms about a quarter of the score of the 2010 film True Grit

True Grit (2010 film)

True Grit is a 2010 American Western film written and directed by the Coen brothers. It is the second adaptation of Charles Portis' 1968 novel of the same name, which was previously filmed in 1969 starring John Wayne. This version stars Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross and Jeff Bridges as U.S....

.

Showalter authored several rudimentary books on music theory and a book on harmony and song composition. These were widely used in singing schools across the South.

Anthony Johnson Showalter died September 14, 1924 in Chattanooga, Tennessee

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...

 and is buried in the West Hill Cemetery

West Hill Cemetery

West Hill Cemetery is a historic cemetery at Sherburne in Chenango County, New York. The cemetery contains approximately 4,683 burials, two thirds of which predate 1950. The earliest burial dates to 1803. The cemetery includes a small, one story brick chapel built in 1905.It was added to the...

of Dalton, Georgia.