Music by George Beverly Shea, 1939, (1909-    )

I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold;

I'd rather be His than have riches untold;

I'd rather have Jesus than houses or land;

I'd rather be led by His nail-pierced hand:

Refrain

Than to be the king of a vast domain or be held in sin's dread sway!

I'd rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.

I'd rather have Jesus than men's applause;

I'd rather be faithful to His dear cause;

I'd rather have Jesus than world-wide fame;

I'd rather be true to His holy name:

Refrain

Than to be the king of a vast domain or be held in sin's dread sway!

I'd rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.

He's fairer than lilies of rarest bloom;

He's sweeter than honey from out the comb;

He's all that my hungering spirit needs -

I'd rather have Jesus and let Him lead:

Refrain

Than to be the king of a vast domain or be held in sin's dread sway!

I'd rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.

     At the age of 23 George Beverly Shea had a hard decision to make. He could accept a job offer in a secular singing position in New York City with a great salary and wide respect; or he could continue singing in churches and for Christian radio programs. While sitting at the family piano, he started to prepare a special hymn for the Sunday service. On the piano he found a poem by Mr. Rhea F. Miller. He immediately began to compose the music for the poem and used the song that same morning in his father's church service. He also used those words to direct his life and has shared his song, "I'd Rather Have Jesus" with audiences around the world.

Born in Winchester, Ontario, Canada, Shea was one of eight children of a Wesleyan Church minister and his wife. He began singing in the church choir in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. His family later moved to Upstate New York and from there, he went on to work in commercial radio. Living in Chicago, he wrote and sang religious music that led to his performing on religious radio broadcasts and to a calling in gospel music that spanned more than fifty years with the Billy Graham organization, beginning in January 1945, while Graham was pastor of the Village Church in Western Springs, Illinois with the inauguration of Graham's "Songs in the Night" radio progam.

Over his long career, Shea has recorded more than seventy albums of religious music. He is best known for his rendition of "How Great Thou Art", the 1920s English translation by Rev. Stuart K. Hine of the Swedish song "O Store Gud", written in 1886 by Rev. Carl Boberg (1859-1940). During his television career, he was nominated for ten Grammy Awards, winning in 1966 for Best Inspirational Performance. In 1978, he was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame by the Gospel Music Association and for his lifelong contribution to gospel music, in 1996 the association of National Religious Broadcasters voted him into their "Religious Broadcasting Hall of Fame. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Gospel Music Association Canada (GMA Canada) in 2004." He has authored a number of books including the recent editions, How Sweet the Sound (2004) and Stories Behind 50 Southern Gospel Favorites, Vol. 2 (2005).

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. He also composed the tune to "I'd Rather Have Jesus", the words of which were written by Rhea F. Miller. Mr. Shea remarried after the passing of his first wife, and now resides with his second wife Karlene in North Carolina.