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Iwillnevergiveup

(9,298 posts)
Wed Apr 17, 2013, 10:46 PM Apr 2013

George Beverly Shea - sang at Billy Graham Rallies Dies at 104

Source: Yahoo news

##snip##

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.

##snip##


Read more: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/george-beverly-shea-sang-billy-graham-crusades-decades-160229900.html

27 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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George Beverly Shea - sang at Billy Graham Rallies Dies at 104 (Original Post) Iwillnevergiveup Apr 2013 OP
My Mother loved to hear him sing. Lint Head Apr 2013 #1
I remember him, too. What a voice. I hadn't thought about him for years. 104, wow. freshwest Apr 2013 #5
Yeah. Mine too. My Dad would have 100 years old March of this year. Lint Head Apr 2013 #6
My dad would have been something like that, too. I wonder if Shea did sing anywhere else. freshwest Apr 2013 #7
Way, way back Iwillnevergiveup Apr 2013 #2
Here we go Iwillnevergiveup Apr 2013 #11
Yeah I remember him gopiscrap Apr 2013 #13
My dad sang with him at Moody roody Apr 2013 #3
Does MBI still have a radio broadcast? grasswire Apr 2013 #9
I don't know- probably. roody Apr 2013 #12
My uncle is 97, and also a MBI graduate. He remembers Mr. Shea quite fondly. ColesCountyDem Apr 2013 #18
I grew up listening to him sing. madfloridian Apr 2013 #4
I actually didn't know he was still around... CBHagman Apr 2013 #8
I, too, would have thought him long gone. grasswire Apr 2013 #10
He's one of the longest lived in show business history. n/t duffyduff Apr 2013 #25
ummm.. Manifestor_of_Light Apr 2013 #14
My neighbor was his secretary for many years. Chipper Chat Apr 2013 #15
Good music -- if you're into guilt and shame, you filthy wretched sinner Blue Owl Apr 2013 #16
I find They Might Be Giants to be very moving Kolesar Apr 2013 #17
Yeah, you're a filthy wretched sinner but we're really HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!!! Manifestor_of_Light Apr 2013 #21
What a Pleasant Ray of Sunshine Macoy51 Apr 2013 #26
The man who died sang about how sinful you are and how you need to accept Jesus, or else. Manifestor_of_Light Apr 2013 #27
my mother had a few of his albums. madrchsod Apr 2013 #19
Not that familiar with this stuff but give him his due daleo Apr 2013 #20
I think all that sinner-blood-n-guts imagery is mental and emotional abuse, frankly. Manifestor_of_Light Apr 2013 #22
Not a religious person at all... bobclark86 Apr 2013 #23
He was good. I happen to like gospel music even though I am not religious. duffyduff Apr 2013 #24

freshwest

(53,661 posts)
5. I remember him, too. What a voice. I hadn't thought about him for years. 104, wow.
Wed Apr 17, 2013, 10:58 PM
Apr 2013

He's the same generation as my parents were.

Lint Head

(15,064 posts)
6. Yeah. Mine too. My Dad would have 100 years old March of this year.
Wed Apr 17, 2013, 11:01 PM
Apr 2013

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)
7. My dad would have been something like that, too. I wonder if Shea did sing anywhere else.
Wed Apr 17, 2013, 11:03 PM
Apr 2013

And what he really thought about things in general.

Iwillnevergiveup

(9,298 posts)
2. Way, way back
Wed Apr 17, 2013, 10:55 PM
Apr 2013

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.

roody

(10,849 posts)
3. My dad sang with him at Moody
Wed Apr 17, 2013, 10:58 PM
Apr 2013

Bible Institute in 1939, more or less. Dad is 93 now- still going strong, more or less.

ColesCountyDem

(6,943 posts)
18. My uncle is 97, and also a MBI graduate. He remembers Mr. Shea quite fondly.
Thu Apr 18, 2013, 06:26 AM
Apr 2013

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)
4. I grew up listening to him sing.
Wed Apr 17, 2013, 10:58 PM
Apr 2013

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.

 

Manifestor_of_Light

(21,046 posts)
14. ummm..
Thu Apr 18, 2013, 12:39 AM
Apr 2013

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)
15. My neighbor was his secretary for many years.
Thu Apr 18, 2013, 01:01 AM
Apr 2013

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.

Kolesar

(31,182 posts)
17. I find They Might Be Giants to be very moving
Thu Apr 18, 2013, 06:12 AM
Apr 2013

We Want a Rock
Birdhouse in Your Soul
Letterbox
Dead, ... all from Flood make me happy and nostalgic

 

Manifestor_of_Light

(21,046 posts)
21. Yeah, you're a filthy wretched sinner but we're really HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!!!
Thu Apr 18, 2013, 10:43 PM
Apr 2013




Bloody cannibalistic super negative zombie worshiping death cult.

 

Macoy51

(239 posts)
26. What a Pleasant Ray of Sunshine
Fri Apr 19, 2013, 06:37 AM
Apr 2013

What a pleasant ray of sunshine you are Mani. And by pleasant, I mean bitter and negative. A man who you don’t 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)
27. The man who died sang about how sinful you are and how you need to accept Jesus, or else.
Fri Apr 19, 2013, 02:56 PM
Apr 2013

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)
19. my mother had a few of his albums.
Thu Apr 18, 2013, 06:34 AM
Apr 2013

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)
20. Not that familiar with this stuff but give him his due
Thu Apr 18, 2013, 09:22 AM
Apr 2013

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)
22. I think all that sinner-blood-n-guts imagery is mental and emotional abuse, frankly.
Thu Apr 18, 2013, 10:45 PM
Apr 2013

But they get a pass because it's religion.


bobclark86

(1,415 posts)
23. Not a religious person at all...
Thu Apr 18, 2013, 11:13 PM
Apr 2013

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)
24. He was good. I happen to like gospel music even though I am not religious.
Thu Apr 18, 2013, 11:41 PM
Apr 2013

I'll bet there are a whole lot more people like me.

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