Occasionally, we find a guitar that has a history that deserves a little deeper investigation. TJ Worthington brought a 1940 Gibson J35 to the KC Guitar Show.
It was owned by Albert Edward Brumley who wrote one of the first gospel songs ever recorded.
We took a little time to dig deeper.
He was born a share cropper who picked cotton on the Choctaw Indian Reservation in Oklahoma.
He published over 600 gospel songs. Many were universally popular. “I’ll Fly Away” was written in 1929 is widely known as the most recorded gospel song of all time.
The Selah Jubilee Singers recorded it for Decca Records in 1941.
Others recorded it, but in 1948, The Chuck Wagon Gang sold over one million copies for Columbia Records.
Hank Williams, Sr also recorded it.
George Jones recorded it in 1965.
Bob Marley and The Wailers recorded it in 1973.
An Allison Krauss version of the song was included in the hit movie “O Brother Where Art Thou?”
Kanye West recorded it in 2004.
Country star Alan Jackson recorded it in 2006.
Puff Daddy sampled part of the song without permission in 1997 and lost a lawsuit over that.
Comments