George Beverly Shea
Encyclopedia
George Beverly "Bev" Shea (born February 1, 1909) is a Grammy Award
-winning Canadian-born American gospel
singer and hymn composer. Shea has often been described as "America's beloved Gospel singer" and is considered "the first international singing 'star' of the gospel world," as a consequence of his solos at Billy Graham
Crusades and his exposure on radio, records, and television. According to the Guinness Book of Records Shea holds the world record for singing in person to the most people ever, with an estimated cumulative live audience of 220 million people.
on February 1, 1909, the fourth of eight children of Rev. Adam J. Shea (1872–1946), a Wesleyan Methodist Church
minister, and his wife, Maude Whitney Shea (1881–1971).
(1917–1921); the Sunnyside Wesleyan Methodist church in Ottawa
, Ontario, Canada from 1921; at the Willett Memorial Wesleyan Methodist Church at Midler Avenue, Syracuse, New York
; and the Jersey City, New Jersey
Wesleyan Methodist church during his youth.
Shea accepted Christ again as his Saviour at the Sunnyside Wesleyan Methodist Church in Ottawa
, Canada
.
by his father, and the piano
and organ
by his mother. Shea's deep resonant baritone
voice brought early recognition and provided many opportunities for him to sing in his father's church. He began singing at religious meetings in the Ottawa Valley.
, before transferring in 1928 to Houghton College
(Houghton, New York
), where he studied singing with Herman Baker. While studying at Houghton College
, Shea sang with the Houghton College Glee Club. Financial difficulties made it necessary for him to terminate his studies in 1929.
offices of the Mutual of New York Life Insurance Company, where he worked for the next nine years.
Shea's children became Christians at an early age. Shea's daughter Elaine became a Christian at the age of 8 during a Billy Graham Crusade at the Cow Palace
, San Francisco, California
in 1958. In 1959 Ron responded to an invitation by Billy Graham during one of the Crusade meetings in Sydney, Australia and was counseled by Grady Wilson. Erma Shea died in September 1976, and memorial service
s were held at Western Springs, Illinois
on 8 September 1976.
On 19 December 1985 Shea married Karlene Aceto (1942 -), a 1972 graduate of Montreat College
, in Montreat, North Carolina
. In a September 2007 interview Shea recalled how he met and married his second wife, Karlene:
Shea, who became a naturalized American citizen in 1941, and his wife, Karlene reside in a home in Montreat, North Carolina
on the same road as Billy Graham's home.
baritone
John Charles Thomas
(born 6 September 1891 — died 13 December 1960), Shea studied singing under Gino Monaco, Thomas' own vocal coach.
program hosted by Fred Allen
on NBC radio. Despite losing to a yodeler, Shea earned second place, and a spot singing popular music
on Allen's program, probably a precursor to Allen's Town Hall Tonight. Although Shea "impressed the critics and scores of fans", he still didn't feel he had discovered a direction for his life.
In 1933 a network radio director heard Shea sing and was sufficiently impressed and arranged an audition
to sing popular secular songs for Your Hit Parade
," a national program with the Lyn Murray
Singers broadcast on the NBC
network. Shea passed the audition and was offered a job, but reluctantly turned the position down because he didn’t feel right about performing secular music.
Shea sang regularly on radio station WHN
, and on Erling C. Olsen's Meditations in the Psalms broadcast on radio station WMCA
, as well as doing 30-minute programs from 7-7:30 am on WKBO
in Jersey City, New Jersey
. Shea also appeared on WKBO
's "the Old Fashioned Gospel Hour."
Shea sang on the Young Person's Church of the Air radio program, which had been started by Percy Crawford
(1902–1960) in Philadelphia in 1931 on Radio station WIP.
after being signed by A & R representative Jack Kapp
, who told Shea: "If you do better than the singer we have in mind, we will give you a contract. If not, you'll have to take the records on yourself. Shea recorded "Jesus Whispers Peace," "Lead Me Gently Home, Father," "I'd Rather Have Jesus," and "God Understands," accompanied by Ruth Crawford (wife of Percy Crawford) on the organ. 7000 copies were sold.
radio program that originated in Chicago, Illinois.
, president of the Moody Bible Institute
(MBI) offered Shea a staff position with "duties that included emceeing, interviewing, news- casting, continuity writing, programming, administration, auditioning, and singing" on radio station WMBI
, "the powerhouse of evangelical radio", the first non-commercial Christian radio
station in America, which was owned and operated by the Moody Bible Institute
originally on its campus in Chicago
. Initially Shea sang on Houghton's Let's Go Back to the Bible, from 1939. Later he was also involved in Miracles and Melodies, which started on 67 radio stations across the USA in 1940, and was broadcast on 187 different stations in 45 US states, Canada, Latin America and China; and in Hymns From the Chapel each morning at 8:15.
pastored by Graham, and transmitted on radio station WCFL
originating from Chicago, Illinois. The popularity of Shea helped make the previously financially struggling program self-sustaining within weeks. The Drummonds indicate that Shea "skyrocketed the broadcast into a great success," so that soon Songs in the Night was broadcast twice on Sundays.
After eight years Shea turned over his duties on this program to Glenn Jorian so that he could devote his energies full-time to the BGEA.
(18 April 1893 – 1 May 1978), a Christian businessman who headed Club Aluminum of Chicago. According to Cusic:
Club Time was broadcast nationally from September 1945 for the next seven years over the ABC Radio and Armed Forces Networks and many independent stations. This show brought Shea national recognition, and by 1951 Shea was the most prominent male soloist in gospel music.
for evangelistic crusades in the New York area. He spent this summer traveling throughout New Jersey
, New York
, and Connecticut
, singing at youth rallies while also singing on WHN
on Sunday mornings.
about conducting youth meetings in that area and soon "Chicagoland Youth For Christ
" was held in Orchestra Hall on Michigan Avenue, Chicago, with Shea singing and Billy Graham
speaking. From this initial concert, Johnson founded Youth for Christ
(YFC). Shea sang in YFC rallies across the U.S. and Canada.
were on the fringes of American religion; Shea and Graham put it in the mainstream." According to David Poling, "central to Billy's successful ministry are the years of loyal service of people like George Beverly Shea, the first staff member to be hired by Graham back in the Chicago radio days." Shea has been involved as a soloist with Billy Graham
and his ministry, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
(BGEA) since 1947.
Shea first met Billy Graham in 1940 while Graham was pastor of the Village Church in Western Springs, Illinois
. In a September 2007 interview Shea recalled how he first met Billy Graham:
In 1948 Shea, along with Graham, Barrows and Grady Wilson, formulated a set of ethical guidelines, later designated The Modesto Manifesto, that became the cornerstone of the BGEA. Shea, along with Graham, Barrows, Grady Wilson and George Wilson, is one of the five directors of the BGEA.
in November 1947. His first song was "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story." In the early days of his association with Graham, Shea earned a wage for each meeting.
Since the beginning of 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.
As the musical mainstay in Graham's crusades, Shea is often called "America's beloved Gospel singer." In each crusade Shea "brings a quiet solo immediately preceding ... Graham's message. His solo serves as a transition from the song service into the message." Collins indicates: "Shea's solos set the tone for the preacher's messages. With his full, rich baritone Shea not only charmed audiences, he also touched them with the message of each song he chose." Graham said that Shea always prepared his crowds by singing before the message, and he felt the song was more powerful than the sermon. According to Billy Graham in a 2002 interview in The Ottawa Citizen,"
Shea himself indicated the importance of his solo: "Billy looks forward to the solo before the message as a time for people to quiet down and for him to gather strength."
Shea also made a valuable contribution to the increased effectiveness of Graham's crusades. According to R. Alan Streett:
One day Shea suggested to Graham:
of Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith in Charlotte, North Carolina
. On 5 December 1950 the Hour of Decision
radio broadcasts began in Atlanta, Georgia
on 150 radio stations. By its fifth week Hour of Decision had the largest audience of any religious radio program in history. By 1952 Shea sang regularly on this program.
Because of 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.
s (including nine compact disc
s) of religious music on both the RCA
and Word Records
labels. Shea has recorded songs with orchestral accompaniment, as arranged and conducted by musical directors, such as Hugo Winterhalter
, Ralph Carmichael
, Bill Walker, Nathan Scott
, Norman Leyden
, Jimmy Owens, Kurt Kaiser
, Danny Davis
, Charles Grean, and Radio City Music Hall
organist, Ray Bohr. His albums have been produced by RCA’s Steve Sholes, Brad McCuen, Darol Rice, Cliff Barrows
, Don Hustad, Bill Fasig, and John Innes.
record label by Sam Wallace
and Elmer Eades, after being "discovered" by Paul Barkmeyer. His first album was entitled Inspirational Songs, produced by Stephen H. Sholes
(born 12 February 1911; died 22 April 1968) and backed by the Hugo Winterhalter
Orchestra. During Shea's first four years with RCA his records did not recover the cost of recording and pressing, but by the end of the 1950s he enjoyed major record success.
," the English translation by Rev. Stuart K. Hine of the Swedish
song "O Store Gud," written in 1886
by Rev. Carl Boberg
(1859–1940). Arguably Shea's most popular hymn is "The Wonder of It All," the title of which was also used by the University of North Carolina Center for Public Television
for their 1998 production of his life story.
. When RCA signed Shea to a recording contract, "the song that the company chose to initially spotlight their new singer was "I'd Rather Have Jesus."
Shea appeared on television on Billy Graham's Hour of Decision television program that was broadcast for three years from 1951 in primetime on Sunday evenings on the ABC television
network.
Shea sang "How Great Thou Art" in the ABC live telecasts
each Saturday evening from 1 June of Billy Graham's Crusade in Madison Square Garden
, in New York city
in the summer of 1957. These telecasts attracted an average audience of over 6.4 million viewers.
In 1998 North Carolina Public Television produced "The Wonder of It All," a television program on his life story.
North Carolina Public Television's news program "North Carolina Now" interviewed Shea. Mitchell Lewis conducted a four part interview with the man known as "America's Most Beloved Gospel Singer."
Shea's first theatrical film was Oiltown, U.S.A., which was produced in 1953 by the BGEA's World Wide Pictures.
Shea performed the hymn Amazing Grace
in The Mighty Fortress, a 1955 newsreel
film of the Billy Graham's 1954 Crusade for Europe, that was produced and directed by Paul Short.
In Ken Anderson's 1977 film Pilgrim's Progress, Shea was the narrator, and Oscar-nominated actor Liam Neeson
made his film debut.
In 1984 Shea featured in Then Sings My Soul, a film musical
/documentary
produced by World Wide Pictures
.
Shea appeared as himself in the 2008 documentary on the effects of Hurricane Katrina
in The New Orleans Story, written and directed by Stephen Rue.
s, winning on 15 March 1966 the 1965 Best Gospel or Other Religious Recording (Musical)
for his album "Southland Favorites" (RCA LSP-3440) recorded with the Anita Kerr
Quartet.
In 1978, he was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame
by the Gospel Music Association
and for his lifelong contribution to gospel music. On 18 February 1982 Shea was awarded the Gold Angel Award for Country Music award by Religion in Media in Hollywood, California.
The Christian Holiness Association (now Christian Holiness Partnership
) presented Shea its Christian Service Award in 1993. In 1996 the association of National Religious Broadcasters
voted Shea into its "Religious Broadcasting Hall of Fame."
On 11 September 1999 Shea received the Integrity Award from Marketplace Ministries in Dallas, Texas
. Shea also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Gospel Music Association Canada (GMA Canada
) in 2004. He was presented the Edwin P. Hubble Medal of Initiative, the highest honor of the city of Marshfield, Missouri
in 2007 by friend Reverend Nicholas W. Inman. Shea sang at the dedication of the Billy Graham Library the following day.
On 12 February 2011 Shea received the 2010 Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award alongside Julie Andrews
, Roy Haynes
, the Juilliard String Quartet
, the Kingston Trio, Dolly Parton
and the Ramones
at a ceremony held at the Wilshire Ebell Theater in Los Angeles
, California
.
, from his alma mater
, Houghton College
. In 1972, Shea received another honorary doctorate, the Doctor of Sacred Music (D Sacred MUS), from Trinity College (now Trinity International University
) of Deerfield, Illinois
.
on January 29, 2009, and ABC's Paul Harvey
on January 31, 2009. Shea has since outlived Harvey, who died four weeks later.
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-winning Canadian-born American gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
singer and hymn composer. Shea has often been described as "America's beloved Gospel singer" and is considered "the first international singing 'star' of the gospel world," as a consequence of his solos at Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
Crusades and his exposure on radio, records, and television. According to the Guinness Book of Records Shea holds the world record for singing in person to the most people ever, with an estimated cumulative live audience of 220 million people.
Early life and family
George Beverly Shea was born in Winchester, Ontario, CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on February 1, 1909, the fourth of eight children of Rev. Adam J. Shea (1872–1946), a Wesleyan Methodist Church
Wesleyan Methodist Church (Great Britain)
The Wesleyan Methodist Church was the name used by the major Methodist movement in Great Britain following its split from the Church of England after the death of John Wesley and the appearance of parallel Methodist movements...
minister, and his wife, Maude Whitney Shea (1881–1971).
Church background
The Shea family served at the Wesleyan Methodist church in Winchester, Ontario, Canada; Houghton, New YorkHoughton, New York
Houghton is a hamlet located in the Town of Caneadea in Allegany County, New York. The population was 1,748 at the 2000 census.Houghton College is a private, coeducational college next to the hamlet.-Geography:...
(1917–1921); the Sunnyside Wesleyan Methodist church in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Ontario, Canada from 1921; at the Willett Memorial Wesleyan Methodist Church at Midler Avenue, Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
; and the Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
Wesleyan Methodist church during his youth.
Spiritual background
Shea himself has said that he became a Christian at the age of five or six, but made a re-dedication to Christ when he was 18:[T]here were times when I needed to rededicate my life to the Lord Jesus. When I was 18, my dad was pastoring a church in Ottawa, and I was feeling not too spiritual. The church was having a "special effort," as they called it, for a week. I remember that on Friday night Dad came down from the pulpit and tenderly placed his hand on my shoulder. He whispered, "I think tonight might be the night, son, when you come back to the Lord." Whatever Dad did or said, I listened to him and respected him. And, yes, that was the night!
Shea accepted Christ again as his Saviour at the Sunnyside Wesleyan Methodist Church in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Musical background
Shea was taught to play the violinViolin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
by his father, and the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
by his mother. Shea's deep resonant baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
voice brought early recognition and provided many opportunities for him to sing in his father's church. He began singing at religious meetings in the Ottawa Valley.
Education
Shea attended Annesley College in OttawaOttawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, before transferring in 1928 to Houghton College
Houghton College
Houghton College is a Christian liberal arts college affiliated with the Wesleyan Church. The college is a member of both the Christian College Consortium and the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities...
(Houghton, New York
Houghton, New York
Houghton is a hamlet located in the Town of Caneadea in Allegany County, New York. The population was 1,748 at the 2000 census.Houghton College is a private, coeducational college next to the hamlet.-Geography:...
), where he studied singing with Herman Baker. While studying at Houghton College
Houghton College
Houghton College is a Christian liberal arts college affiliated with the Wesleyan Church. The college is a member of both the Christian College Consortium and the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities...
, Shea sang with the Houghton College Glee Club. Financial difficulties made it necessary for him to terminate his studies in 1929.
Secular employment
After leaving college Shea became a clerk in the medical department in the New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
offices of the Mutual of New York Life Insurance Company, where he worked for the next nine years.
Marriages and children
Shea married his childhood sweetheart, Erma L. Scharfe (1908–1976) on 16 June 1934. Shea and Erma had two children: Ronnie and Elaine.Shea's children became Christians at an early age. Shea's daughter Elaine became a Christian at the age of 8 during a Billy Graham Crusade at the Cow Palace
Cow Palace
Cow Palace is an indoor arena, in Daly City, California, situated on the city's border with neighboring San Francisco, notable as a sporting arena.-History:...
, San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
in 1958. In 1959 Ron responded to an invitation by Billy Graham during one of the Crusade meetings in Sydney, Australia and was counseled by Grady Wilson. Erma Shea died in September 1976, and memorial service
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
s were held at Western Springs, Illinois
Western Springs, Illinois
Western Springs is a suburb of Chicago located in Cook County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 12,493. It is twinned with Rugeley, United Kingdom....
on 8 September 1976.
On 19 December 1985 Shea married Karlene Aceto (1942 -), a 1972 graduate of Montreat College
Montreat College
Montreat College is a private, four-year, liberal arts Christian college with campuses located in Black Mountain, Asheville and Charlotte, North Carolina, United States and its primary campus in Montreat, North Carolina. The college offers on-campus traditional four-year degrees, an adult studies...
, in Montreat, North Carolina
Montreat, North Carolina
Montreat is a town in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 696 in 2008. It is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. In a September 2007 interview Shea recalled how he met and married his second wife, Karlene:
"It has been 20 years of bliss. I was a widower for 10 years in a suburb of Chicago and that's a long time. When we were over in Korea in 1984, Billy brought me into his room and said, 'I've been talking to Ruth, my wife, in Montreat this morning on the phone and we think that 10 years is enough,' and so he mentioned Karlene's name. Mr. Graham didn't do the service. We had the pastor of our church here and he put on his nice robe and we were married in Billy's home.
Shea, who became a naturalized American citizen in 1941, and his wife, Karlene reside in a home in Montreat, North Carolina
Montreat, North Carolina
Montreat is a town in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 696 in 2008. It is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area...
on the same road as Billy Graham's home.
New York (1929-1939)
As a result of the recommendation of American operaOpera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
John Charles Thomas
John Charles Thomas
John Charles Thomas was a popular American opera, operetta and concert baritone.-Birth, schooling and stage debut:...
(born 6 September 1891 — died 13 December 1960), Shea studied singing under Gino Monaco, Thomas' own vocal coach.
Radio
While working for Mutual Life in New York City Shea appeared on an amateur hourAmateur Hour
"Amateur Hour" is a song by Sparks. It was released as the second single from the album Kimono My House. A rerecording was produced in 1997 for the retrospective Plagiarism album...
program hosted by Fred Allen
Fred Allen
Fred Allen was an American comedian whose absurdist, topically pointed radio show made him one of the most popular and forward-looking humorists in the so-called classic era of American radio.His best-remembered gag was his long-running mock feud with friend and fellow comedian Jack Benny, but it...
on NBC radio. Despite losing to a yodeler, Shea earned second place, and a spot singing popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
on Allen's program, probably a precursor to Allen's Town Hall Tonight. Although Shea "impressed the critics and scores of fans", he still didn't feel he had discovered a direction for his life.
In 1933 a network radio director heard Shea sing and was sufficiently impressed and arranged an audition
Audition
An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performing artist.Audition may also refer to:* The sense of hearing* Adobe Audition, audio editing software...
to sing popular secular songs for Your Hit Parade
Your Hit Parade
Your Hit Parade, is an American radio and television music program that was broadcast from 1935 to 1955 on radio, and seen from 1950 to 1959 on television. It was sponsored by American Tobacco's Lucky Strike cigarettes. During this 24-year run, the show had 19 orchestra leaders and 52 singers or...
," a national program with the Lyn Murray
Lyn Murray
Lyn Murray was a composer, conductor, and arranger of music for radio, film and television.Born as Lionel Breeze in London, he arrived on American shores to found the Lyn Murray Singers, who became known throughout the United States as the featured group on CBS Radio’s Your Hit Parade...
Singers broadcast on the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
network. Shea passed the audition and was offered a job, but reluctantly turned the position down because he didn’t feel right about performing secular music.
Shea sang regularly on radio station WHN
WHN
WHN was a radio station in New York City located at 1050 kHz. Its best known format was country music, which the station played from 1972 to 1987...
, and on Erling C. Olsen's Meditations in the Psalms broadcast on radio station WMCA
WMCA
WMCA, 570 AM, is a radio station in New York City, most known for its "Good Guys" Top 40 era in the 1960s. It is currently owned by Salem Communications and plays a Christian radio format...
, as well as doing 30-minute programs from 7-7:30 am on WKBO
WKBO
WKBO is the callsign of an AM radio station licensed to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by One Heart Ministries and broadcasts on 1230 kHz at 480 watts full time, non-directional, from a tower located at the Harrisburg Water plant...
in Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
. Shea also appeared on WKBO
WKBO
WKBO is the callsign of an AM radio station licensed to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by One Heart Ministries and broadcasts on 1230 kHz at 480 watts full time, non-directional, from a tower located at the Harrisburg Water plant...
's "the Old Fashioned Gospel Hour."
Shea sang on the Young Person's Church of the Air radio program, which had been started by Percy Crawford
Percy Crawford
Percy Bartimus Crawford was an evangelist and fundamentalist leader who especially emphasized youth ministry. During the late 1950s, he saw the potential of FM radio and UHF television and built the first successful Christian broadcasting network...
(1902–1960) in Philadelphia in 1931 on Radio station WIP.
Decca Records
Shea began his recording career at the U.S. branch of Decca RecordsDecca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
after being signed by A & R representative Jack Kapp
Jack Kapp
Jack Kapp was a record company executive with Brunswick Records who founded Decca Records in 1934. After his death, his brother Dave Kapp took over American Decca. Dave Kapp later founded Kapp Records, based in New York....
, who told Shea: "If you do better than the singer we have in mind, we will give you a contract. If not, you'll have to take the records on yourself. Shea recorded "Jesus Whispers Peace," "Lead Me Gently Home, Father," "I'd Rather Have Jesus," and "God Understands," accompanied by Ruth Crawford (wife of Percy Crawford) on the organ. 7000 copies were sold.
Chicago (1939-1952)
In 1939 Shea auditioned unsuccessfully for a spot on a CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
radio program that originated in Chicago, Illinois.
WMBI (1939-1944)
Soon after Dr. Will HoughtonWill Houghton
Will Houghton was an Australian rules footballer who played with University in the 1914 VFL season.-Sources:*Holmesby, Russell & Main, Jim . The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers. 7th ed. Melbourne: Bas Publishing....
, president of the Moody Bible Institute
Moody Bible Institute
Moody Bible Institute is a Christian institution of higher education and related ministries that was founded by evangelist and businessman Dwight Lyman Moody in 1886. Since its founding, MBI's main campus has been located in the Near North Side of Chicago. MBI's primary ministries are education,...
(MBI) offered Shea a staff position with "duties that included emceeing, interviewing, news- casting, continuity writing, programming, administration, auditioning, and singing" on radio station WMBI
WMBI (AM)
WMBI is an AM Station broadcasting on 1110 kHz in Chicago, Illinois. It is owned and operated by Moody Radio, and it broadcasts from the campus of Moody Bible Institute Transmitter and tower located in Addison, Illinois....
, "the powerhouse of evangelical radio", the first non-commercial Christian radio
Christian radio
Christian radio is a category of radio formats that focus on transmitting programming with a Christian message. In the United States, where it is more established, many such broadcasters play popular music of Christian influence, though many programs have talk or news programming covering...
station in America, which was owned and operated by the Moody Bible Institute
Moody Bible Institute
Moody Bible Institute is a Christian institution of higher education and related ministries that was founded by evangelist and businessman Dwight Lyman Moody in 1886. Since its founding, MBI's main campus has been located in the Near North Side of Chicago. MBI's primary ministries are education,...
originally on its campus in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. Initially Shea sang on Houghton's Let's Go Back to the Bible, from 1939. Later he was also involved in Miracles and Melodies, which started on 67 radio stations across the USA in 1940, and was broadcast on 187 different stations in 45 US states, Canada, Latin America and China; and in Hymns From the Chapel each morning at 8:15.
Songs in the Night (1944-1952)
On 2 January 1944 Shea began his ministry as a featured soloist on Billy Graham's Songs in the Night weekly radio program, which was broadcast live on Sunday evenings for 45 minutes from 10.15pm from the basement of the Village (Baptist) Church at 4475 Wolf Road, Western Springs, IllinoisWestern Springs, Illinois
Western Springs is a suburb of Chicago located in Cook County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 12,493. It is twinned with Rugeley, United Kingdom....
pastored by Graham, and transmitted on radio station WCFL
WMVP
WMVP is the callsign of a commercial radio station in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is owned by ABC. Its transmitter is located in Downers Grove. The station broadcasts live sports talk, both locally and nationally. Daily programming consists of talk shows that are both national and local...
originating from Chicago, Illinois. The popularity of Shea helped make the previously financially struggling program self-sustaining within weeks. The Drummonds indicate that Shea "skyrocketed the broadcast into a great success," so that soon Songs in the Night was broadcast twice on Sundays.
After eight years Shea turned over his duties on this program to Glenn Jorian so that he could devote his energies full-time to the BGEA.
Club Time (1944-1952)
In June 1944 Shea resigned from WMBI to sing gospel on a 15 minute weekday radio program, Club Time, the second oldest hymn program on commercial radio. Club Time, initially broadcast on Radio station WCFL, was sponsored by Herbert J. TaylorHerbert J. Taylor
Herbert J. Taylor was a business executive, civic leader and sponsor of Christian organizations who belonged to the United States of America. Taylor co-founded the Christian Workers Foundation in 1939...
(18 April 1893 – 1 May 1978), a Christian businessman who headed Club Aluminum of Chicago. According to Cusic:
Shea's job was to host the program and sing several songs, including the favorite hymn of various famous people. It was on "Club Time" that Beverly Shea became George Beverly Shea at the insistence of the advertising agency; it seems they felt most listeners were confused by a man named "Beverly."
Club Time was broadcast nationally from September 1945 for the next seven years over the ABC Radio and Armed Forces Networks and many independent stations. This show brought Shea national recognition, and by 1951 Shea was the most prominent male soloist in gospel music.
Singspiration (1947)
By the summer of 1947 Shea was signed to the Singspiration Sacred Recordings label, which had been founded by Dr. Alfred B. Smith (born 8 November 1916 — died 9 August 2001) in 1941, where he sang on a number of 78 rpm albums, including "Bass Baritone" (Singspiration "Treasure Chest Series" LP S-100) and "Lead Me Gently Home, Father" (Singspiration LP 156).Summer of 1942
In the summer of 1942 Shea took a leave of absence from WMBI to join Word Of Life (WOL) evangelist Jack WyrtzenJack Wyrtzen
John Von Casper "Jack" Wyrtzen was a youth evangelist and founder of Word of Life ministries, which he led for 50 years...
for evangelistic crusades in the New York area. He spent this summer traveling throughout New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, singing at youth rallies while also singing on WHN
WHN
WHN was a radio station in New York City located at 1050 kHz. Its best known format was country music, which the station played from 1972 to 1987...
on Sunday mornings.
Youth for Christ (1942)
When Shea returned to Chicago in September 1942, he talked with Torrey JohnsonTorrey Johnson
Torrey Maynard Johnson was a Chicago Protestant evangelist who is best remembered as the founder of Chicagoland Youth for Christ and Youth for Christ International in 1944...
about conducting youth meetings in that area and soon "Chicagoland Youth For Christ
Youth for Christ
Youth for Christ is the name of a number of previously unaffiliated evangelical Protestant religious campaigns which led to the creation of Youth for Christ International in 1946....
" was held in Orchestra Hall on Michigan Avenue, Chicago, with Shea singing and Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
speaking. From this initial concert, Johnson founded Youth for Christ
Youth for Christ
Youth for Christ is the name of a number of previously unaffiliated evangelical Protestant religious campaigns which led to the creation of Youth for Christ International in 1946....
(YFC). Shea sang in YFC rallies across the U.S. and Canada.
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (1947 to present)
According to Don Cusic, "Shea and Billy Graham are the prime examples of an evangelical Christianity with mainstream appeal after World War II. Previously the evangelicals and fundamentalistsFundamentalism
Fundamentalism is strict adherence to specific theological doctrines usually understood as a reaction against Modernist theology. The term "fundamentalism" was originally coined by its supporters to describe a specific package of theological beliefs that developed into a movement within the...
were on the fringes of American religion; Shea and Graham put it in the mainstream." According to David Poling, "central to Billy's successful ministry are the years of loyal service of people like George Beverly Shea, the first staff member to be hired by Graham back in the Chicago radio days." Shea has been involved as a soloist with Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
and his ministry, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is an organization started by Billy Graham in 1950. The main focus of the BGEA is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to as many people as possible...
(BGEA) since 1947.
Shea first met Billy Graham in 1940 while Graham was pastor of the Village Church in Western Springs, Illinois
Western Springs, Illinois
Western Springs is a suburb of Chicago located in Cook County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 12,493. It is twinned with Rugeley, United Kingdom....
. In a September 2007 interview Shea recalled how he first met Billy Graham:
"One morning, there was a rap on my office door. I looked out and there was a tall young man with blond hair and we shook hands. He was 21 and I was 31. It was Billy Graham and he had traveled in from Wheaton CollegeWheaton College (Illinois)Wheaton College is a private, evangelical Protestant liberal arts college in Wheaton, Illinois, a suburb west of Chicago in the United States...
on a train just to say 'hello.' He said he listened to my morning hymn show called 'Hymns From The Chapel.' That's how we first got acquainted. I came into this work with Mr. Graham in 1947 after we had exchanged letters and talked on the phone. He said he wanted me to be his gospel singer. I thanked him but told him the only gospel singers I've ever heard about would sing a verse or two and stop and talk a while. 'Would I have to do that?' I asked him. He chuckled and said, 'I hope not.' With that, I said, 'Well, I'd like to come with you.' That was in November of 1947 and I've been with him ever since."
In 1948 Shea, along with Graham, Barrows and Grady Wilson, formulated a set of ethical guidelines, later designated The Modesto Manifesto, that became the cornerstone of the BGEA. Shea, along with Graham, Barrows, Grady Wilson and George Wilson, is one of the five directors of the BGEA.
Billy Graham Crusades (1947 to present)
Shea sang at the unofficial launching of Graham's crusades in the old Armory in Charlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
in November 1947. His first song was "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story." In the early days of his association with Graham, Shea earned a wage for each meeting.
Since the beginning of Graham's crusade ministry Shea and Cliff Barrows
Cliff Barrows
Clifford Burton Barrows is the longtime music and program director for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. He has been a part of the Graham organization since 1949...
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.
Shea's role in Billy Graham Crusades
As the musical mainstay in Graham's crusades, Shea is often called "America's beloved Gospel singer." In each crusade Shea "brings a quiet solo immediately preceding ... Graham's message. His solo serves as a transition from the song service into the message." Collins indicates: "Shea's solos set the tone for the preacher's messages. With his full, rich baritone Shea not only charmed audiences, he also touched them with the message of each song he chose." Graham said that Shea always prepared his crowds by singing before the message, and he felt the song was more powerful than the sermon. According to Billy Graham in a 2002 interview in The Ottawa Citizen,"
"I've been listening to Bev Shea sing for more than 50 years, and I would still rather hear him sing than anyone else I know."
Shea himself indicated the importance of his solo: "Billy looks forward to the solo before the message as a time for people to quiet down and for him to gather strength."
Shea also made a valuable contribution to the increased effectiveness of Graham's crusades. According to R. Alan Streett:
For a number of years the entire congregation sang the invitational hymn, until Bev Shea suggested that the choir alone handle the assignment. Shea remembered how he, as an eighteen-year-old lad, was convicted by the Spirit as a choir sang "Just As I AmJust As I Am (hymn)Just as I Am is a well-known hymn, written by Charlotte Elliott in 1835, first appearing in the Christian Remembrancer, of which Elliott became the editor in 1836. The final verse is taken from Elliott's Hours of Sorrow Cheered and Comforted ....
." He felt the effects of a soft choir number could be used by God to touch people's hearts.
One day Shea suggested to Graham:
Have you ever thought of saying, "As the choir sings, you come"? With just the choir singing there might be more contemplation upon the Holy Spirit's call. Soon after that, for the first time in his growing ministry, he began to say at the close of every service, "As the choir sings, you come!"
Hour of Decision (1950)
The Hour of Decision radio program was produced in the recording studioRecording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
of Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
. On 5 December 1950 the Hour of Decision
Hour of Decision
Hour of Decision is a weekly radio broadcast by the Dr. Rev. Billy Graham. Graham began it with a few of his own dollars and ties with a radio station through a friend at his old church. As more and more people listened to the show, donations poured in to keep the show on the air...
radio broadcasts began in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
on 150 radio stations. By its fifth week Hour of Decision had the largest audience of any religious radio program in history. By 1952 Shea sang regularly on this program.
Because of 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.
Recording career (1951 to present)
Shea has recorded approximately 500 vocal solos on more than seventy albumAlbum
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s (including nine compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
s) of religious music on both the RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
and Word Records
Word Records
Word Records is a Christian record label based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a division of Word Entertainment , which, itself is co-owned by Warner Music Group and Curb Records...
labels. Shea has recorded songs with orchestral accompaniment, as arranged and conducted by musical directors, such as Hugo Winterhalter
Hugo Winterhalter
Hugo Winterhalter was an American musician.An easy listening arranger and composer, Winterhalter was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Mount St. Mary's near Emmitsburg, Maryland in 1931, where he played saxophone for the orchestra and sang in two of the choirs...
, Ralph Carmichael
Ralph Carmichael
Ralph Carmichael is a composer and arranger of both secular pop music and contemporary Christian music, being regarded as one of the pioneers of the latter genre...
, Bill Walker, Nathan Scott
Nathan Scott
Nathan Royal Scott is a fictional character on The CW television series One Tree Hill, portrayed by James Lafferty. He was the second protagonist during the first six seasons; but following Lucas Scott's departure, Nathan has become the main character and central figure of the show. Nathan is Lucas...
, Norman Leyden
Norman Leyden
Norman Fowler Leyden is an American, conductor, arranger, and clarinetist. He has worked in film and television and is perhaps best known as the conductor of the Oregon Symphony Pops orchestra...
, Jimmy Owens, Kurt Kaiser
Kurt Kaiser
Kurt Kaiser, is an award winning songwriter of Contemporary Christian music and member of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. He has produced and arranged albums for the likes of: Kathleen Battle, Ernie Ford, Larnelle Harris, Burl Ives, Ken Medema, Christopher Parkening, George Beverly Shea, Joni...
, Danny Davis
Danny Davis (country musician)
Danny Davis was a band leader, trumpet player, vocalist and producer and founder/leader of the Nashville Brass.-Early life and career:...
, Charles Grean, and Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
organist, Ray Bohr. His albums have been produced by RCA’s Steve Sholes, Brad McCuen, Darol Rice, Cliff Barrows
Cliff Barrows
Clifford Burton Barrows is the longtime music and program director for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. He has been a part of the Graham organization since 1949...
, Don Hustad, Bill Fasig, and John Innes.
RCA (1951)
In 1951 Shea was signed to the RCARCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
record label by Sam Wallace
Sam Wallace
Samuel Kip Wallace is a New Zealand actor, born in Howick, Auckland.- Early years :Sam's first big break came when filming The Ugly, a New Zealand film when he was aged 14. He attended Westlake Boys High School, where he was involved with Basketball...
and Elmer Eades, after being "discovered" by Paul Barkmeyer. His first album was entitled Inspirational Songs, produced by Stephen H. Sholes
Stephen H. Sholes
Stephen H. Sholes was a prominent recording executive with RCA Victor.-Career:He was born Stephen Henry Sholes, in Washington, D.C.. His family moved to Camden, New Jersey, where his father worked in the RCA Victor plant. Sholes started work at RCA Victor as a messenger boy in 1929...
(born 12 February 1911; died 22 April 1968) and backed by the Hugo Winterhalter
Hugo Winterhalter
Hugo Winterhalter was an American musician.An easy listening arranger and composer, Winterhalter was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Mount St. Mary's near Emmitsburg, Maryland in 1931, where he played saxophone for the orchestra and sang in two of the choirs...
Orchestra. During Shea's first four years with RCA his records did not recover the cost of recording and pressing, but by the end of the 1950s he enjoyed major record success.
Notable songs
Shea is best known for his rendition of "How Great Thou ArtHow Great Thou Art (hymn)
"How Great Thou Art" is a Christian hymn based on a Swedish poem written by Carl Gustav Boberg in Sweden in 1885. The melody is a Swedish folk song. It was translated into English by British missionary Stuart K. Hine, who also added two original verses of his own composition. It was popularized by...
," the English translation by Rev. Stuart K. Hine of the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
song "O Store Gud," written in 1886
1886 in music
- Events :*March 21 - Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 7 is performed for the first time publicly in Vienna, conducted by Hans Richter. This is his breakthrough work....
by Rev. Carl Boberg
Carl Boberg
Carl Gustav Boberg was a Swedish poet, writer, and elected official, best known for writing the Swedish language poem of "O Store Gud" from which the English language hymn "How Great Thou Art" is derived....
(1859–1940). Arguably Shea's most popular hymn is "The Wonder of It All," the title of which was also used by the University of North Carolina Center for Public Television
UNC-TV
University of North Carolina Television, known on-air as UNC-TV, is a public television network in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is operated by the University of North Carolina, with studios located at the UNC Center for Public Television at Research Triangle Park...
for their 1998 production of his life story.
I'd Rather Have Jesus (1932)
In 1932 Shea composed the tune to "I'd Rather Have Jesus," the words of which were written by Rhea F. Miller (1894–1966), the wife of Dr. Howard Miller, later a general superintendent of the Church of the NazareneChurch of the Nazarene
The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement in North America with its members colloquially referred to as Nazarenes. It is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. At the end of 2010, the Church of the...
. When RCA signed Shea to a recording contract, "the song that the company chose to initially spotlight their new singer was "I'd Rather Have Jesus."
The Wonder of It All (1955)
Shea also wrote both the lyrics and music for "The Wonder of It All," which was copyrighted originally by Chancel Music in 1956.Writing career
Shea authored a number of books including an autobiography, Then Sings My Soul (1968); Songs That Lift the Heart (1972); How Sweet the Sound (2004); and Stories Behind 50 Southern Gospel Favorites, Vol. 2 (2005).Hour of Decision (1951-1954)
Shea appeared on television on Billy Graham's Hour of Decision television program that was broadcast for three years from 1951 in primetime on Sunday evenings on the ABC television
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
network.
Madison Garden Crusade (Summer 1957)
Shea sang "How Great Thou Art" in the ABC live telecasts
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
each Saturday evening from 1 June of Billy Graham's Crusade in Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, in New York city
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in the summer of 1957. These telecasts attracted an average audience of over 6.4 million viewers.
The Wonder of It All (1998)
In 1998 North Carolina Public Television produced "The Wonder of It All," a television program on his life story.
George Beverly Shea (2009)
North Carolina Public Television's news program "North Carolina Now" interviewed Shea. Mitchell Lewis conducted a four part interview with the man known as "America's Most Beloved Gospel Singer."
Oiltown, U.S.A. (1953)
Shea's first theatrical film was Oiltown, U.S.A., which was produced in 1953 by the BGEA's World Wide Pictures.
The Mighty Fortress (1955)
Shea performed the hymn Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn with words written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton , published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God,...
in The Mighty Fortress, a 1955 newsreel
Newsreel
A newsreel was a form of short documentary film prevalent in the first half of the 20th century, regularly released in a public presentation place and containing filmed news stories and items of topical interest. It was a source of news, current affairs and entertainment for millions of moviegoers...
film of the Billy Graham's 1954 Crusade for Europe, that was produced and directed by Paul Short.
Pilgrim's Progress (1977)
In Ken Anderson's 1977 film Pilgrim's Progress, Shea was the narrator, and Oscar-nominated actor Liam Neeson
Liam Neeson
Liam John Neeson, OBE is an Irish actor who has been nominated for an Oscar, a BAFTA and three Golden Globe Awards.He has starred in a number of notable roles including Oskar Schindler in Schindler's List, Michael Collins in Michael Collins, Peyton Westlake in Darkman, Jean Valjean in Les...
made his film debut.
Then Sings My Soul (1984)
In 1984 Shea featured in Then Sings My Soul, a film musical
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
/documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
produced by World Wide Pictures
World Wide Pictures
World Wide Pictures is a film distributor and production company established as a subsidiary of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in 1951...
.
The New Orleans Story (2008)
Shea appeared as himself in the 2008 documentary on the effects of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
in The New Orleans Story, written and directed by Stephen Rue.
Awards and honors
During his career Shea was nominated for ten Grammy AwardGrammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s, winning on 15 March 1966 the 1965 Best Gospel or Other Religious Recording (Musical)
Grammy Award for Best Inspirational Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Inspirational Performance was awarded from 1962 to 1986. During this time the award had several minor name changes:*From 1962 to 1963 the award was known as Best Gospel or Other Religious Recording...
for his album "Southland Favorites" (RCA LSP-3440) recorded with the Anita Kerr
Anita Kerr
Anita Jean Grilli , known profesioanlly as Anita Kerr, is an American singer, arranger, composer, conductor, pianist, and music producer. She recorded and performed successfully with her vocal harmony groups in Nashville, Los Angeles, and Europe.-Nashville:Kerr was born in Memphis, Tennessee...
Quartet.
In 1978, he was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame
Gospel Music Hall of Fame
The Gospel Music Hall of Fame, created in 1971 by the Gospel Music Association, is a Hall of Fame dedicated exclusively to recognizing meaningful contributions by individuals and groups in all forms of gospel music.-Inductees:...
by the Gospel Music Association
Gospel Music Association
The Gospel Music Association was founded in 1964 for the purpose of supporting and promoting the development of all forms of Gospel music. There are currently about 4,000 members worldwide...
and for his lifelong contribution to gospel music. On 18 February 1982 Shea was awarded the Gold Angel Award for Country Music award by Religion in Media in Hollywood, California.
The Christian Holiness Association (now Christian Holiness Partnership
Christian Holiness Partnership
The Christian Holiness Partnership is an international organization of individuals, organizational and denominational affiliates within the holiness movement. It was founded in 1867 as the National Camp Meeting Association for Christian Holiness, later changing its name to the National Holiness...
) presented Shea its Christian Service Award in 1993. In 1996 the association of National Religious Broadcasters
National Religious Broadcasters
National Religious Broadcasters is an American organization that represents Christian religious broadcasters on American television and radio, including several high-profile televangelists and Christian radio show hosts. It claims a membership of more than 1700 organizations...
voted Shea into its "Religious Broadcasting Hall of Fame."
On 11 September 1999 Shea received the Integrity Award from Marketplace Ministries in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. Shea also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Gospel Music Association Canada (GMA Canada
GMA Canada
GMA Canada is the Gospel Music Association of Canada . Created in 1974, the organization is a not for profit association whose mission is to promote the growth and ministry of Christian music arts in Canada...
) in 2004. He was presented the Edwin P. Hubble Medal of Initiative, the highest honor of the city of Marshfield, Missouri
Marshfield, Missouri
Marshfield is a city in Webster County, Missouri, United States. The population was 6,633 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat and part of the Springfield, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
in 2007 by friend Reverend Nicholas W. Inman. Shea sang at the dedication of the Billy Graham Library the following day.
On 12 February 2011 Shea received the 2010 Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award alongside Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews
Dame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...
, Roy Haynes
Roy Haynes
Roy Owen Haynes is an American jazz drummer and bandleader. Haynes is among the most recorded drummers in jazz, and in a career lasting more than 60 years has played in a wide range of styles ranging from swing and bebop to jazz fusion and avant-garde jazz...
, the Juilliard String Quartet
Juilliard String Quartet
The Juilliard String Quartet is a classical music string quartet founded in 1946 at the Juilliard School in New York. The original members were violinists Robert Mann and Robert Koff, violist Raphael Hillyer, and cellist Arthur Winograd; Current members are Joseph Lin and Ronald Copes violinists,...
, the Kingston Trio, Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
and the Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
at a ceremony held at the Wilshire Ebell Theater in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Honorary degrees
In 1956 Shea received an honorary doctorate, the Doctor of Fine ArtsDoctor of Fine Arts
Doctor of Fine Arts is doctoral degree in fine arts, typically given as an honorary degree . The degree is typically conferred to honor the recipient who has made a contribution to society in the arts...
, from his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
, Houghton College
Houghton College
Houghton College is a Christian liberal arts college affiliated with the Wesleyan Church. The college is a member of both the Christian College Consortium and the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities...
. In 1972, Shea received another honorary doctorate, the Doctor of Sacred Music (D Sacred MUS), from Trinity College (now Trinity International University
Trinity International University
Trinity International University is an evangelical Christian institution of higher education headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois. It comprises an undergraduate college, a graduate school, a theological seminary , and a law school--together with nearly 3,000 students...
) of Deerfield, Illinois
Deerfield, Illinois
Deerfield is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States and is located approximately 25 miles north of Chicago, Illinois. A portion of the village is in Cook County, Illinois, United States...
.
Later years
Shea celebrated his 100th birthday on Sunday February 1, 2009. It was mentioned by the NBC network's The Today Show's Willard ScottWillard Scott
Willard Herman Scott, Jr. is an American media personality and author best known for his television work on NBC's The Today Show and as the creator of the Ronald McDonald character.-Early years:...
on January 29, 2009, and ABC's Paul Harvey
Paul Harvey
Paul Harvey Aurandt , better known as Paul Harvey, was an American radio broadcaster for the ABC Radio Networks. He broadcast News and Comment on weekday mornings and mid-days, and at noon on Saturdays, as well as his famous The Rest of the Story segments. His listening audience was estimated, at...
on January 31, 2009. Shea has since outlived Harvey, who died four weeks later.
Biographical Book
Shea is the subject of an authorized biography, George Beverly Shea: Tell Me the Story, by Paul Davis, which was released on April 15, 2009.Further reading
- Gregory, Andy, "George Beverly Shea," 463. In International Who's Who in Popular Music 2002." 4th ed. Routledge, 2002.