George Beverly Shea
| George Beverly Shea | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
February 1, 1909 Winchester, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | April 16, 2013 (aged 104) Montreat, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Stroke |
| Resting place | Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse(s) | Erma L. Scharfe (1934–1976, her death) Karlene Aceto (1985–2013, his death) |
| Children | 2 |
George Beverly Shea (February 1, 1909 – April 16, 2013) was a Canadian-born Americangospel singer and hymn composer. Shea was often described as "America's beloved gospel singer" and was considered "the first international singing 'star' of the gospel world," as a consequence of his solos at Billy Graham Crusades and his exposure on radio, records and television. Because of the attendance at Graham's Crusades, Shea has sung live before more people than anyone else in history.
George Beverly Shea was born in Winchester, Ontario, Canada, on February 1, 1909, the fourth of eight children of the Rev. Adam Joseph Shea (1872–1946), a Wesleyan Methodist Church—now Wesleyan Church—minister, and his wife, Maude Mary Theodora (Whitney) Shea (1881–1971).
The Shea family served at the Wesleyan Methodist church in Winchester, Ontario, Canada;Houghton, New York (1917–1921); the Sunnyside Wesleyan Methodist church in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, from 1921; at the Willett Memorial Wesleyan Methodist Church at Midler Avenue, Syracuse, New York; and the Jersey City, New Jersey Wesleyan Methodist church during his youth.
Shea himself has said that he became a Christian at the age of five or six, but made a re-dedication to Christ when he was 18:
[T]here were times when I needed to rededicate my life to the Lord Jesus. When I was 18, my dad was pastoring a church in Ottawa, and I was feeling not too spiritual. The church was having a "special effort," as they called it, for a week. I remember that on Friday night Dad came down from the pulpit and tenderly placed his hand on my shoulder. He whispered, "I think tonight might be the night, son, when you come back to the Lord." Whatever Dad did or said, I listened to him and respected him. And, yes, that was the night!
Shea accepted Christ again as his Saviour at the Sunnyside Wesleyan Methodist Church in Ottawa, Canada.
Shea was taught to play the violin by his father, and the piano and organ by his mother. Shea's bass-baritone voice brought early recognition and provided many opportunities for him to sing in his father's church. He began singing at religious meetings in the Ottawa Valley.
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