William Bradbury

William Batchelder Bradbury, born on October 6, 1816, in York, Maine, became one of the most influential figures in nineteenth-century American church music. He studied under Lowell Mason and George Webb at the Boston Academy of Music, grounding himself in the musical traditions that would shape his career. Bradbury later served as a church musician and organist in the New York City area, holding positions at the First Baptist Church in Brooklyn and the Baptist Tabernacle.

Bradbury was a prolific publisher, authoring or compiling fifty-nine music books beginning in 1841. In 1854, he founded the Bradbury Piano Company with his brother, Edward G. Bradbury. He is credited with pioneering the genre of Sunday school music and organizing large-scale "Juvenile Music Festivals" that brought sacred music to children across the country. His collections, including The Golden Chain of Sabbath School Melodies and Fresh Laurels for the Sabbath School, sold millions of copies during his lifetime.

Many of Bradbury’s hymn tunes remain in use in churches today. He composed the music for "Jesus Loves Me" in 1862, and his melodies also accompany such enduring hymns as "He Leadeth Me," "Just As I Am," "Sweet Hour of Prayer," "Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us," and "My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less." Bradbury died on January 7, 1868, in Bloomfield, New Jersey, leaving behind a body of work that helped shape congregational singing in America.