Albert Edward Brumley (October 29, 1905 – November 15, 1977) was an American

shape note Shape notes are a musical notation designed to facilitate congregational and Sing-along, social singing. The notation became a popular teaching device in American singing schools during the 19th century. Shapes were added to the noteheads in ...

music composer and publisher, prolific in the genre of southern gospel.

Biography

Brumley was born near

Spiro, Oklahoma Spiro is a town in Le Flore County, Oklahoma, Le Flore County, Oklahoma, United States. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Fort Smith metropolitan area, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,164 at the 2010 census, a 2.8 ...

on October 29, 1905, into a family of sharecroppers. He spent much of his early life chopping and picking cotton on his family's farm. In 1926, he enrolled in the Hartford Musical Institute of

Hartford, Arkansas Hartford is a city in Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 642 at the 2010 census. Clergyman James T. Draper, Jr., president of the South ...

, and studied there through 1931. The institute was led by

Eugene Monroe Bartlett Eugene Monroe Bartlett Sr. (a.k.a. E.M. Bartlett) (December 24, 1885 – January 25, 1941) was an American Christian singer, songwriter and producer of gospel music. He wrote " Victory in Jesus". Early life Eugene Monroe Bartlett Sr., was born on ...

(1884–1941), owner of the Hartford Music Company and composer of the well-known gospel song "Victory in Jesus". Brumley purchased Hartford Music Company in 1948. On 30 August 1931, Brumley married Goldie Edith Schell. They lived on the banks of

Big Sugar Creek Big Sugar Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed May 31, 2011 waterway in the Ozark Mountains of southwest Missouri. The creek starts near the Arkansas state line. ...

in Powell, Missouri, where they raised six children. "

I'll Fly Away "I'll Fly Away"( Roud 18437) is a hymn written in 1929 by Albert E. Brumley and published in 1932 by the Hartford Music company in a collection titled ''Wonderful Message''.Richard Matteson, Jr.''The Bluegrass Picker's Tune Book'' Mel Bay Publi ...

," "Turn Your Radio On," "If We Never Meet Again (This Side of Heaven)," "I'll Meet You in the Morning," "Rank Stranger," and "He Set Me Free" are among a host of favorites written by Albert E. Brumley. He wrote over 800 songs. He established the ''Albert E. Brumley Sundown to Sunup Gospel Sing'' (now ''Albert E. Brumley Gospel Sing'') in 1969 in

Springdale, Arkansas Springdale is a city in Washington County, Arkansas, Washington and Benton County, Arkansas, Benton counties in the U.S. state of Arkansas. The city had a population of 84,161 at the 2020 census, making it the List of cities and towns in Arkan ...

. Brumley has been inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame,

Gospel Music Hall of Fame The Gospel Music Hall of Fame, created in 1972 by the Gospel Music Association, is a hall of fame dedicated exclusively to recognizing meaningful contributions by individuals and groups in all forms of gospel music. Inductees This is an incompl ...

, and Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame.

Death

Albert Brumley was a member of the

Church of Christ Church of Christ may refer to: Church groups * Christianity, the Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ * Christian Church, an ecclesiological term used by denominations to describe the true body of Christia ...

and is buried at Fox Church of Christ Cemetery near Powell, Missouri. He died November 15, 1977. Brumley's son

Tom Tom or TOM may refer to: * Tom (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name. Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Tom'' (1973 film), or ''The Bad Bunch'', a blaxploitation film * ''Tom'' (2002 film) ...

, who would die in 2009, later became a respected

steel guitar A steel guitar () is any guitar played while moving a steel bar or similar hard object against plucked strings. The bar itself is called a "steel" and is the source of the name "steel guitar". The instrument differs from a conventional guitar i ...

ist in country music and songleader in the Church of Christ in Powell.

Notes

External links

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Biographical Sketch on the Life of Albert E. BrumleyBrumley MusicEncyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Brumley, Albert
1905 births 1977 deaths American male composers American gospel singers American members of the Churches of Christ People from Spiro, Oklahoma Songwriters from Oklahoma American Christian writers American Christian hymnwriters Southern gospel performers 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers Singers from Oklahoma 20th-century American composers American male songwriters 20th-century American songwriters {{Oklahoma-stub