George Beverly Shea (February 1, 1909 – April 16, 2013) was a Canadian-born American[1] gospel singer and hymn composer.

[3][4] George Beverly Shea was born in Winchester, Ontario, Canada, on February 1, 1909, the fourth of eight children of the Rev.

[12] Shea's bass-baritone voice brought early recognition and provided many opportunities for him to sing in his father's church.

Shea's daughter Elaine became a Christian at the age of 8 during a Billy Graham Crusade at the Cow Palace, San Francisco, California, in 1958.

[7][17][18] In 1959 Ron responded to an invitation by Billy Graham during one of the Crusade meetings in Sydney, Australia and was counseled by Grady Wilson.

When we were over in Korea in 1984, Billy brought me into his room and said, 'I've been talking to Ruth, my wife,[clarification needed] in Montreat this morning on the phone and we think that 10 years is enough,' and so he mentioned Karlene's name.

[25]Shea, who became a naturalized American citizen in 1941,[26] and his wife, Karlene, who was 33 years his junior, lived in Montreat, North Carolina,[27] on the same road as Billy Graham's home.

[14][11] While working for Mutual Life in New York City Shea appeared on an amateur hour program hosted by Fred Allen on NBC radio.

Shea passed the audition and was offered a job, but reluctantly turned the position down because he didn't feel right about performing secular music.

[38] Songs in the Night (1944–1952) On 2 January 1944 Shea began his ministry as a featured soloist on Billy Graham's Songs in the Night weekly radio program,[39] which was broadcast live on Sunday evenings for 45 minutes from 10.15pm[40] from the basement of the Village (Baptist) Church at 4475 Wolf Road, Western Springs, Illinois,[41] pastored by Graham,[42] and transmitted on radio station WCFL originating from Chicago, Illinois.

[40] After eight years Shea turned over his duties on this program to Glenn Jorian so that he could devote his energies full-time to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA).

[2][13] According to Cusic: Shea's job was to host the program and sing several songs, including the favorite hymn of various famous people.

"[38]Club Time was broadcast nationally from September 1945 for the next seven years over the ABC Radio and Armed Forces Networks and many independent stations.

[13] According to Don Cusic, "Shea and Billy Graham are the prime examples of an evangelical Christianity with mainstream appeal after World War II.

"[48] According to David Poling, "central to Billy's successful ministry are the years of loyal service of people like George Beverly Shea, the first staff member to be hired by Graham back in the Chicago radio days.

In a September 2007 interview Shea recalled how he first met Billy Graham: One morning, there was a rap on my office door.

[25]In 1948 Shea, along with Graham, Barrows and Grady Wilson, formulated a set of ethical guidelines, later designated The Modesto Manifesto, that became the cornerstone of the BGEA.

[51] Shea sang at the unofficial launching of Graham's crusades in the old Armory in Charlotte, North Carolina, in November 1947.

They were joined in 1950 by pianist Tedd Smith, and through the years organists Don Hustad and John Innes have provided additional accompaniment.

According to R. Alan Streett: For a number of years the entire congregation sang the invitational hymn, until Bev Shea suggested that the choir alone handle the assignment.

"[55]The Hour of Decision radio program was produced in the recording studio of Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith in Charlotte, North Carolina.

[2] Shea has recorded songs with orchestral accompaniment, as arranged and conducted by musical directors, such as Hugo Winterhalter, Ralph Carmichael, Bill Walker, Nathan Scott, Norman Leyden, Jimmy Owens, Kurt Kaiser, Danny Davis, Charles Grean, and Radio City Music Hall organist, Ray Bohr.

[11] His albums have been produced by RCA Victor's Steve Sholes, Brad McCuen, Darol Rice, Cliff Barrows, Don Hustad, Bill Fasig, and John Innes.

In 1951, Shea was signed to RCA Victor Records by Sam Wallace and Elmer Eades, after being "discovered" by Paul Barkmeyer.

Arguably Shea's most popular hymn is "The Wonder of It All," the title of which was also used by the University of North Carolina Center for Public Television for their 1998 production of his life story.

[62] When RCA Victor signed Shea to a recording contract, "the song that the company chose to initially spotlight their new singer was "I'd Rather Have Jesus.

[63] Shea authored a number of books including an autobiography, Then Sings My Soul (1968); Songs That Lift the Heart (1972); How Sweet the Sound (2004); and Stories Behind 50 Southern Gospel Favorites, Vol.

He was presented the Edwin P. Hubble Medal of Initiative, the highest honor of the city of Marshfield, Missouri, in 2007 by friend Reverend Nicholas W.

On February 12, 2011, Shea received the 2010 Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award alongside Julie Andrews, Roy Haynes, the Juilliard String Quartet, the Kingston Trio, Dolly Parton and the Ramones at a ceremony held at the Wilshire Ebell Theater in Los Angeles, California.

[73] Shea is mentioned in the Christian novel The Peacemakers, the final volume in Jack Cavanaugh's "American Family Portrait" series.