George Beverly Shea, long-time friend and ministry partner to evangelist Billy Graham, passed away April 16, 2013 at age 104. This video looks back at his life and legacy.
I’d rather have Jesus when he sings he
sings a sermon it’s not just a show that
he puts on oh well I love to hear him
sing and always will
his voice has stirred people’s hearts
around the world I’d rather have Jesus
he still is to me the greatest gospel
singing is still the best in a career
that spanned more than seventy years
George Beverly Shea was renowned as
America’s beloved gospel singer Thank
You Fran he was born on February 1st
1909 in the sleepy little town of
Winchester Ontario his father was a
Methodist minister and his mother
instilled an enduring love of music in
her fourth of eight children as a young
man Bev Shea’s passion was praising God
with his powerful voice but a career in
music seemed a remote possibility he
found work during the Great Depression
in New York City at an insurance company
nearly nine years later in 1938 a chance
encounter changed his destiny dr. will H
Holton president of Moody Bible said
Bevin ever thought about who Christian
radio is a vocation I never knew one
could enter into that at all
like road crazy
at age 29 Bev shea began a new career at
WM bi in Chicago he became a popular
singer in the Midwest and beyond his
listeners included a young pastor named
Billy Graham he phoned and he wrote and
said that they were starting a program
called songs in the night the
financialization and would I come and
sing on the program in the Chicago area
Bev was known far better than mr. Graham
that’s why Billy wanted to come and be
with him on his songs in the night
program because if they had been there
to sing people would be attracted and
come along among Billy Graham recognized
Shea’s unmistakable talents and in the
late 1940s invited him along with music
director cliff barrows to join his new
ministry and it’s the cross and I must
come to his cross together they would
take the message of salvation through
Jesus Christ around the world
I thought he was the greatest gospel
singer I had ever heard it’s a richness
to his voice give me that old time but
it didn’t give me that all to be very
difficult I think for me to preach an
evangelistic sermon without Bev singing
first because his song prepares the
hearts of the people for the message as
much as any single thing that happens in
our Crusades in 1954 the sheet music to
an obscure him was handed to che on the
streets of London this little-known song
had found its voice
there were so loved from the very
beginning
it bridges the cultural gap it bridges
the language gap of him that people can
use to express their joy in the Lord in
their hope that he is coming again soon
performances on six continents along
with records television and film made
Bev che one of the best-known gospel
singers in the world yet he never lost
his humble spirit sometimes in a song
ministry the unexpected happens they
were doing a segment of this film they
had me on a nice dry rock but the waves
were elsewhere and I started saying how
big is God how big and wide his vast
domain and a freak wave came and got me
completely
after the death of his first wife she
married Carlene Osito in 1985 the couple
shared a passion for music thank you I
loved it
I love you Shea’s numerous accolades
included a Grammy ten Grammy nominations
and induction into the Gospel Music Hall
of Fame in 2011 he received a Lifetime
Achievement Grammy honoring a legendary
career that touched the lives of
millions 60 years we’ve been together
cliff barrows and George Beverly Shea
they’re two of the greatest men of God
I’ve been grateful for the opportunity
to sing a little song before that man
speaks
you