George Beverly Shea

George Beverly Shea was a gospel singer and hymn composer who served as a long-time soloist for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. He was born on February 1, 1909, in Winchester, Ontario, Canada, the son of a Wesleyan Methodist minister. In 1928 he moved to the United States to attend Houghton College, and he began his career in radio broadcasting in the 1930s.

In 1947 Shea joined Billy Graham’s ministry and went on to serve as a soloist at Graham crusades for more than sixty years. A bass-baritone, he recorded more than seventy albums over his career. He is closely associated with the hymn “How Great Thou Art,” which he popularized at the 1957 New York Crusade. His album Southland Favorites is among his many releases.

Shea also composed music for hymns, including “I’d Rather Have Jesus” and “The Wonder of It All.” His contributions to gospel music earned him a Grammy Award for Best Gospel or Religious Recording in 1965 and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011. He was inducted into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in 1978 and the Religious Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 1996. George Beverly Shea passed away on April 16, 2013, at the age of 104.