Montreat’s George Beverly Shea celebrates a century
by Barbara Hootman
published January 28, 2009 12:15 am
One of the most recognized men in gospel music history is turning 100 years old on February 1, and is still singing.
George Beverly Shea has sung before an estimated 220 million people during his lifetime, carrying the gospel in song to every continent in the world.
“It is joy and tenderness toward the Lord that makes my life so enjoyable,” he said.
His wife of 23 years, Karlene, describes her husband.
“He has a great sense of humor, and is just a precious spirit,” she said. “I love to hear him pray.”
Throughout his 65-year friendship with Rev. Billy Graham, he opened every crusade for 60 years with his deep baritone voice, carrying the gospel in song to every listener.
“I am a two stanza man,” he said. “I always sang two stanzas of whatever hymn I sang, bowed my head and left Billy’s pulpit. Sure, at times I was nervous, but once I reached his pulpit and felt it under my hand, it was alright.”
Shea sang “How Great Thou Art” nightly for 16 straight weeks at Madison Square Garden in 1957. It became his signature song.
He currently holds the world record for singing to more people in person than any other artist in history. Millions of people have been impacted by his music through Grammy-winning recordings, television, and radio broadcasts.
Shea started opening the Graham crusades with his easily recognized voice when he was asked by Billy Graham personally to join him in 1947.
“His will always be the most recognizable voice that you’ll ever hear,” Cliff Barrows, choir director, platform emcee, and radio-television program director for the crusades, said in an earlier interview.
Graham agreed, often calling Shea his favorite singer. “I’ve been listening to Bev. Shea for more than 50 years, and I would still rather hear him sing than anyone else I know,” he wrote in his autobiography, “Just as I Am.” “Bev was the first person I asked to join me in evangelism…It was God who brought us together. Bev will always be remembered as ‘America’s beloved gospel singer,’ whose rich baritone voice has touched the hearts of millions in our crusades, and through his 65 recordings, one of them ‘Songs of the Southland,’ was awarded a Grammy.”
Shea suffered a heart attack in 2004 and has not traveled with the crusades since then. However, he continues to sing daily, and often sings at special events at The Cove in Asheville. He will sing at his birthday celebration to be announced at a later date.
University of North Carolina Public Television will also throw a party for Shea, and film it for their viewing public some time in March.
Shea was well-established in Chicago network radio before joining the evangelistic Graham team. He started on “Club Time,” a program carried for more than eight years on ABC, the armed forces network, and many independent stations. Then 21-year-old Billy Graham asked him to join his evangelistic team, and he did, never looking back.
“I knew from the way Bill shook hands and talked that he was the kind of man I liked to be around and work with,” Shea said in an earlier interview. “God made our team tick. Also, everyone was free to be himself. There was basic integrity and each knew the other was faithful to the Lord.”
Although retired, Shea enjoys a full and rich life each day.
“Most every day there are visitors who come, a lot of mail to be answered, phone calls, and commitments to keep. I sing and play the organ most every day.”
Shea begins a lot of days with bringing his wife coffee while she is still in bed.
“Joy, and the people around me, and being with the Graham team have enabled me to live such a long, happy life,” he said. “I was blessed with my wife, Karlene, for the last 23 years, and that is blessed with a capital ‘B.’ She is so easy to live with.”
In December, Shea sang in Gatlinburg, Tenn., for 5,000 people. In 2008, he also sang for thousands of people at crusades in Birmingham, Ala., Charleston, S.C., Paducah, Ky., and The Cove in Asheville.
“Billy spoke briefly in Gatlinburg,” Shea said. “He fondly said that he knew people would come, if I sang. He said the same thing in 1947 when he asked me to join him in the crusades.”
Ruth Graham was a close friend of Shea, and helped convince him to move to Montreat permanently.
“She sat here in my home by my side at the grand piano and we sang her favorite old hymns,” Shea said. “I miss her sense of humor, her presence, and her comments.”
Shea is a humble man who is comfortable with the Lord.
“I’ve never felt like a celebrity,” he said. “I’ve simply done what I liked to do.”
His regrets are few.
“RCA asked me to repeat a concert that I had done at Carnegie Hall, and I got cold feet,” he said. “I regret that. I was asked to sing the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ for a big ball game, and I didn’t do it, and I regret that. But I did sing the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ for the Warhorses. I’ve even forgotten words to a hymn in the Cow Palace in 1958. Also, I would love to have gotten a college degree. I had to drop out of college due to lack of money.”
Shea credits his father, and Dr. Will H. Houghton, of Calvary Baptist Church in New York, with influencing his life the most.
“Dr. Houghton asked me if I had ever thought about singing for Christian radio,” Shea said. “I had never considered it, but he pointed me in the right direction, and moved me out of the secular world. After singing for a little over five years, I met Billy Graham.”
Shea’s advice to everyone is to “relish each day.”
“People love George Beverly and Karlene,” Fran Aceto, Karlene’s daughter-in-law, said. “They stay very busy with people visiting every day. There are always visitors, and lots of mail. We are truly blessed to have them in our lives.”
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by Barbara Hootman
published January 28, 2009 12:15 am
One of the most recognized men in gospel music history is turning 100 years old on February 1, and is still singing.
George Beverly Shea has sung before an estimated 220 million people during his lifetime, carrying the gospel in song to every continent in the world.
“It is joy and tenderness toward the Lord that makes my life so enjoyable,” he said.
His wife of 23 years, Karlene, describes her husband.
“He has a great sense of humor, and is just a precious spirit,” she said. “I love to hear him pray.”
Throughout his 65-year friendship with Rev. Billy Graham, he opened every crusade for 60 years with his deep baritone voice, carrying the gospel in song to every listener.
“I am a two stanza man,” he said. “I always sang two stanzas of whatever hymn I sang, bowed my head and left Billy’s pulpit. Sure, at times I was nervous, but once I reached his pulpit and felt it under my hand, it was alright.”
Shea sang “How Great Thou Art” nightly for 16 straight weeks at Madison Square Garden in 1957. It became his signature song.
He currently holds the world record for singing to more people in person than any other artist in history. Millions of people have been impacted by his music through Grammy-winning recordings, television, and radio broadcasts.
Shea started opening the Graham crusades with his easily recognized voice when he was asked by Billy Graham personally to join him in 1947.
“His will always be the most recognizable voice that you’ll ever hear,” Cliff Barrows, choir director, platform emcee, and radio-television program director for the crusades, said in an earlier interview.
Graham agreed, often calling Shea his favorite singer. “I’ve been listening to Bev. Shea for more than 50 years, and I would still rather hear him sing than anyone else I know,” he wrote in his autobiography, “Just as I Am.” “Bev was the first person I asked to join me in evangelism…It was God who brought us together. Bev will always be remembered as ‘America’s beloved gospel singer,’ whose rich baritone voice has touched the hearts of millions in our crusades, and through his 65 recordings, one of them ‘Songs of the Southland,’ was awarded a Grammy.”
Shea suffered a heart attack in 2004 and has not traveled with the crusades since then. However, he continues to sing daily, and often sings at special events at The Cove in Asheville. He will sing at his birthday celebration to be announced at a later date.
University of North Carolina Public Television will also throw a party for Shea, and film it for their viewing public some time in March.
Shea was well-established in Chicago network radio before joining the evangelistic Graham team. He started on “Club Time,” a program carried for more than eight years on ABC, the armed forces network, and many independent stations. Then 21-year-old Billy Graham asked him to join his evangelistic team, and he did, never looking back.
“I knew from the way Bill shook hands and talked that he was the kind of man I liked to be around and work with,” Shea said in an earlier interview. “God made our team tick. Also, everyone was free to be himself. There was basic integrity and each knew the other was faithful to the Lord.”
Although retired, Shea enjoys a full and rich life each day.
“Most every day there are visitors who come, a lot of mail to be answered, phone calls, and commitments to keep. I sing and play the organ most every day.”
Shea begins a lot of days with bringing his wife coffee while she is still in bed.
“Joy, and the people around me, and being with the Graham team have enabled me to live such a long, happy life,” he said. “I was blessed with my wife, Karlene, for the last 23 years, and that is blessed with a capital ‘B.’ She is so easy to live with.”
In December, Shea sang in Gatlinburg, Tenn., for 5,000 people. In 2008, he also sang for thousands of people at crusades in Birmingham, Ala., Charleston, S.C., Paducah, Ky., and The Cove in Asheville.
“Billy spoke briefly in Gatlinburg,” Shea said. “He fondly said that he knew people would come, if I sang. He said the same thing in 1947 when he asked me to join him in the crusades.”
Ruth Graham was a close friend of Shea, and helped convince him to move to Montreat permanently.
“She sat here in my home by my side at the grand piano and we sang her favorite old hymns,” Shea said. “I miss her sense of humor, her presence, and her comments.”
Shea is a humble man who is comfortable with the Lord.
“I’ve never felt like a celebrity,” he said. “I’ve simply done what I liked to do.”
His regrets are few.
“RCA asked me to repeat a concert that I had done at Carnegie Hall, and I got cold feet,” he said. “I regret that. I was asked to sing the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ for a big ball game, and I didn’t do it, and I regret that. But I did sing the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ for the Warhorses. I’ve even forgotten words to a hymn in the Cow Palace in 1958. Also, I would love to have gotten a college degree. I had to drop out of college due to lack of money.”
Shea credits his father, and Dr. Will H. Houghton, of Calvary Baptist Church in New York, with influencing his life the most.
“Dr. Houghton asked me if I had ever thought about singing for Christian radio,” Shea said. “I had never considered it, but he pointed me in the right direction, and moved me out of the secular world. After singing for a little over five years, I met Billy Graham.”
Shea’s advice to everyone is to “relish each day.”
“People love George Beverly and Karlene,” Fran Aceto, Karlene’s daughter-in-law, said. “They stay very busy with people visiting every day. There are always visitors, and lots of mail. We are truly blessed to have them in our lives.”
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