Billy Graham Crusades soloist George Beverly Shea, who passed away Tuesday at the age of 104, was remembered Sunday in a public memorial service at Anderson Auditorium in Montreat, N.C.
“This man’s life can be summed up in a few simple phrases,” said Dr. David Bruce, who offered the Scripture reading and meditation during the service. “The twinkle in his eye, the praise on his lips, the song in his heart, the length of his days and the joy of his Lord.”
Beginning as the soloist for Billy Graham Crusades in 1947 in Charlotte, N.C., Shea sang with Billy Graham for nearly 60 years, until Graham’s final Crusade in 2005 in New York City. Shea remained active with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), singing at Franklin Graham Festivals in Charleston, S.C. (2008), and Knoxville, Tenn. (2008); Will Graham Celebrations in Paducah, Ky. (2007), and Gastonia, N.C. (2006); and events at the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove in Asheville, N.C.