I'll Fly Away

I have loved reading about the background of some of the songs on this record. Before now, I never knew the story behind many of the songs on Some Glad Morning.

I’ll Fly Away was written by Albert E Brumley, who was born on a cotton farm near Spiro, Oklahoma in 1905. 24 years later, while working in the cotton field, he was singing a popular song at the time” If I had the Wings of an Angel” he is quoted to say that ” actually, I was dreaming of flying away from that cotton field when I wrote I’ll Fly Away”

Albert attended the Hartford Musical Institute at Hartford, Arkansas and sang with the Hartford quartet. Later he taught singing where he met his wife-to-be Goldie E Schell. After their marriage, Goldie encouraged him to sell some of songs, so on a hot summer afternoon in July of 1932 I’ll fly away was mailed to Hartford Music Company. Hartford Music published the song in the book The Wonderful Message. At the time the song was accepted and published, Albert was working in his father n law’s general store for a dollar a day. He was then shortly afterward employed by Hartford as a 12.50 a month staff writer. I’ll Fly Away became Albert Brumley’s most recorded song.

He and Goldie went on to have six children. He spent 34 years as a staff writer for gospel’s famed Hartford and Stamps/Baxter publishing companies, before forming Albert E. Brumley & Sons Music Company, Country Gentlemen Music and purchasing Hartford Music Company. He wrote over 800 gospel and ‘sentimental’ songs.

He was Inducted into the Country Song Writers Hall of Fame-1970. Albert E. Brumley is still one of the most widely recorded gospel music composer in America. He’s been recorded by a variety of artists, from Elvis Presley to Ray Charles, The Supremes and even the Boston Pops. Recent recordings of I’ll Fly Away : Aretha Franklin (Princess Diana Tribute Album), Wynonna and Gary Chapman (Soundtrack for the movie “The Apostle”), Andy Griffith, Loretta Lynn, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, The Oak Ridge Boys and Burl Ives.
Albert Brumley died on November 15, 1977.

So grateful to him for giving so much of his life to the craft of writing songs that still inspire us today.

Some glad morning when this life is o’er,
I’ll fly away;
To a home on God’s celestial shore,
I’ll fly away (I’ll fly away).

Chorus
I’ll fly away, Oh Glory
I’ll fly away; (in the morning)
When I die, Hallelujah, by and by,
I’ll fly away (I’ll fly away).

When the shadows of this life have gone,
I’ll fly away;
Like a bird from prison bars has flown,
I’ll fly away (I’ll fly away)

Chorus

Just a few more weary days and then,
I’ll fly away;
To a land where joy shall never end,
I’ll fly away (I’ll fly away)

Hallelujah by and by:-)

Cindy

Comments

Click here to cancel reply.

Add Your Comment