Gospel vocalist George Beverly Shea spent most of his 45-year career closely associated with evangelist Billy Graham. His best-known song is "How Great Thou Art," which was written by Rev. Stuart K. Hine in the 1920s. Shea is also a distinguished writer of popular hymns such as "The Wonder of It All."
Born the son of a Wesleyan Methodist minister in Winchester, Ontario, Shea was raised in the New York area and spent much time as a youth singing in church choirs. Following high school, he briefly attended Houghton College in New York, dropping out only after his family's finan...