George Beverly Shea - sang at Billy Graham Rallies Dies at 104
Source: Yahoo news
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MONTREAT, N.C. - Canadian-born gospel singer George Beverly Shea, whose booming baritone voice echoed through stadiums, squares and souls during a decades-long career with evangelist Billy Graham, died Tuesday. He was 104.
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association spokesman Brent Rinehart said Shea died in Asheville, N.C., after a brief illness.
Shea's rendition of "How Great Thou Art" came to define the faith of a Protestant generation that Graham helped bring to Jesus Christ. He performed live before an estimated 200 million people at crusades over the years taking him from North Dakota to North Korea and beyond.
He joined Graham's crusade team in 1947 and stayed until Graham's declining health ended most of the evangelist's public appearances nearly 60 years later.
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Read more: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/george-beverly-shea-sang-billy-graham-crusades-decades-160229900.html
Lint Head
(15,064 posts)freshwest
(53,661 posts)He's the same generation as my parents were.
Lint Head
(15,064 posts)My Mom was a strict Methodist and the daughter of a Methodist Minister. Shea had the voice of an opera singer. He could have done anything.
freshwest
(53,661 posts)And what he really thought about things in general.
Iwillnevergiveup
(9,298 posts)we had evangelical neighbors who talked my folks into bringing me and my brother to a Billy Graham rally at Madison Square Garden. It was PACKED, and when George sang "How Great Thou Art," everyone was in tears. Then Billy called people to come forward who wanted to be saved, and I guess about half of the crowd did just that. From what I understand, if you did go forward, you were herded backstage where your name and address were taken. You were also given a packet of literature, which of course, included pledge cards. It was a stupefying experience....mass hypnosis on a very grand scale.
Iwillnevergiveup
(9,298 posts)Can you see me in the audience?
gopiscrap
(23,673 posts)what a voice!
roody
(10,849 posts)Bible Institute in 1939, more or less. Dad is 93 now- still going strong, more or less.
grasswire
(50,130 posts)I remember those, and the theme song.
roody
(10,849 posts)My mom and Dad met at MBI.
ColesCountyDem
(6,943 posts)As a young American Baptist pastor in the early '40s, his new, small church held a revival, and my uncle asked Mr. Shea if he would consider helping by providing 'special music'. Mr. Shea accepted immediately, and refused compensation of any kind, spending every night that week sleeping on a daybed in my aunt's sewing room, and taking his meals with them at the parsonage.
madfloridian
(88,117 posts)We went to NC retreats at Ridgecrest in the summer, and he was sometimes there. They were good memories until the changes came to the SBC. We left the church during the reign of Bush.
CBHagman
(16,968 posts)...but 104 is a nice long life, isn't it?
grasswire
(50,130 posts)My mom loved his voice.
duffyduff
(3,251 posts)Manifestor_of_Light
(21,046 posts)My grandmother started taking organ lessons and had a Hammond organ. I was the only other person in the family with musical talent. So when I visited her they made me play How Great Thou Art. The sheet music had this guy on the front, I believe. I hated it. They also made me play Indian Love Call and Night and Day. None of which I understood or liked.
Chipper Chat
(9,634 posts)And my grandmother bought me an 4-song record called "How Great Thou Art" back in 1952. It was my first EP. He had a wonderful voice.
Blue Owl
(49,902 posts)n/t
Kolesar
(31,182 posts)We Want a Rock
Birdhouse in Your Soul
Letterbox
Dead, ... all from Flood make me happy and nostalgic
Manifestor_of_Light
(21,046 posts)Bloody cannibalistic super negative zombie worshiping death cult.
Macoy51
(239 posts)What a pleasant ray of sunshine you are Mani. And by pleasant, I mean bitter and negative. A man who you dont even know died, and yet you see the need to post insulting remarks. Try going for a walk and focus on finding as many wonderful and beautiful things as you can.
Macoy
Manifestor_of_Light
(21,046 posts)He, by his own actions, and his recordings, was being negative. He made a choice to sing these songs and make money from them and endorse their doctrines.
As I said, my grandparents made me play How Great Thou Art, which had GEORGE BEVERLY SHEA'S PICTURE on the SHEET MUSIC. OK??? He endorsed this negativity, sold records and made money on this evil concept of original sin through his gospel music. I felt like it was child abuse to make me play that song on the organ just because I was the only person in the family with musical talent besides my grandmother. It made me sick. My grandparents grinned and were happy because they were brainwashed.
So how many other people did this horrible attitude hurt besides me??? Millions, no doubt.
There is NO COMFORT in being told you're a worthless piece of crap and you must accept Jesus to "save" you. I don't know what I need to be "saved" from. I commit my own sins, okay? I don't need GOD as a crooked prosecutor who hits every single person who is breathing with a criminal charge that they did not earn, just because of a couple of idiots named Adam and Eve in a fairy tale ate a fruit from a tree they weren't supposed to. It was God's fault, not A&E's, because he should have made them obedient in the first place if he was all-powerful.
Original sin and substitutionary atonement are evil pernicious ideas that DESTROY people. They destroy peoples' self esteem for NO good reason. Preachers tell people this crap so they can make them feel bad and CONTROL them and get their money. It's all about guilt and control. Can't you see that?
But society gives it a pass because it gives hurtful and evil concepts a pass if they are religious doctrines. Just because millions of people believe it does not make it true or good or right.
Most people will never get the strength to get up and walk away from the brainwashing. That is sad. People who could be autonomous humans thinking for themselves. They never will because of fear of disapproval of their community.
A lot of people kill themselves because they can't live up to the impossible standards set before them. Can't you see how horrendously harmful Christianity is? And how George Beverly Shea was one of the people who spread these awful concepts through music???
He's responsible for the damage he caused by his actions.
madrchsod
(58,162 posts)she used to give money to billy then she realized guys like billy were taking money from local churches.
he joined the church the year i was born. i guess someone blessed him with a long life.
daleo
(21,317 posts)I never really cared for most hymns - as a kid I found much of the imagery frankly creepy (e.g. being washed in the blood of the lamb). I never thought much of the whole "wretched sinner" meme either.
Still, he must have raised the spirits of many people, and helped persuade them to dispense some serious cash for the Graham crusades. How you feel about that, well it all depends...
Manifestor_of_Light
(21,046 posts)But they get a pass because it's religion.
bobclark86
(1,415 posts)but damn, he could sing!
He went to college not far from where I grew up. Our local paper is running his obituary.
duffyduff
(3,251 posts)I'll bet there are a whole lot more people like me.