George Beverly Shea

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George Beverly Shea

Born	George Beverly Shea February 1, 1909 (1909-02-01) (age 99) Winchester, Ontario, Canada

George Beverly "Bev" Shea (born February 1, 1909) is a prominent singer/songwriter of gospel music, the author of several hymns and hymn tunes.

[edit] Biography

Born in Winchester, Ontario, Canada, Shea was one of eight children of a Wesleyan Church minister and his wife. He began singing in the church choir in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. His family later moved to Upstate New York and from there, he went on to work in commercial radio. Living in Chicago, he wrote and sang religious music that led to his performing on religious radio broadcasts and to a calling in gospel music that spanned more than fifty years with Billy Graham and his ministry, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. His association with Graham began in 1943, while Graham was pastor of the Village Church in Western Springs, Illinois with the inauguration of Graham's "Songs in the Night" radio progam.

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.^[1]

Over his long career, Shea has recorded more than seventy albums of religious music. He is best known for his rendition of "How Great Thou Art", the 1920s English translation by Rev. Stuart K. Hine of the Swedish song "O Store Gud", written in 1886 by Rev. Carl Boberg (1859-1940). During his television career, he was nominated for ten Grammy Awards, winning in 1965 for Best Inspirational Performance. 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. In 1996 the association of National Religious Broadcasters voted him into its "Religious Broadcasting Hall of Fame." He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Gospel Music Association Canada (GMA Canada) in 2004.

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. As the musical mainstay in Graham's crusades, Shea is often called "America's Beloved Gospel Singer."^[2]

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.^[3]

Shea has authored a number of books including the recent editions, How Sweet the Sound (2004) and Stories Behind 50 Southern Gospel Favorites, Vol. 2 (2005).^[4]

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. He also composed the tune to "I'd Rather Have Jesus", the words of which were written by Rhea F. Miller.^[5]

Following the death of his first wife, Erma, in 1976, Shea married Karlene Aceto in 1985.^[6] They reside in North Carolina.

He was presented the Edwin P. Hubble Medal of Initiative in 2007 by friend, Reverend Nicholas W. Inman. Shea sang at the dedication of the Billy Graham Library the following day. The Hubble Medal is the city of Marshfield, Missouri's highest honor.