Anyone who has ever attended a Billy Graham Crusade will recall hearing the smooth bass-baritone voice of George Beverly Shea (1909-2013 … yes, he lived to be 104!) singing what many regarded to be his signature song, “I’d Rather Have Jesus.” That, along with “How Great Thou Art,” have become permanently associated with him.
The crusade choir composed of hundreds of singers from local churches led the singing under the director of Cliff Barrows, all seated beneath the huge white banner, with the words from John 14:6, “Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life.” It’s hard to picture one of those crusade meetings without hearing in your mind the sound of Bev (as he preferred to be called) singing, and then Billy standing up at the podium as he delivered his sermon, his Bible held high and folded open in one hand with his index finger of the other hand pointing to the audience as he said, “The Bible says ….”