Today’s post was written by Paul.
In today’s video I’m singing “I’d Rather Have Jesus” with my first cousin, Maria. She is the middle daughter of my Uncle Ray, who sang with Pap as the Wilson Brothers.
It’s a lot of fun to sing with Maria. You always know that she’s going to nail her part, and her singing is so good that it helps me improve my own singing and playing to match hers, even though in this video I didn’t get my harmony part right until the final chorus.
Somehow, I thought I knew that George Beverly Shae may have been the one to popularize this song. I’m pretty sure that Pap told me that once. A quick Google search revealed that Shae was the very first person to sing the song because he composed the melody in 1933, using lyrics from Rhea F. Miller.
Shea was only 23 years old when his mother gave him a poem by Miller, written in 1922. She clipped the poem out and left it sitting on the family piano for him. Later that very day, at the church he attended, Shea sang the poem, using the melody he created. It later would become known as his signature song (along with “How Great Thou Art”), as Shea performed it at Billy Graham Crusades around the world.
You can hear Shea sing the song here.
I hope you enjoyed the song!
Paul
Original singles released on Spotify.
Shepherd of My Soul (Album released in 2016).
The Wilson Brothers Words of Life Album released in the 70s.
Beautiful!!!
Beautiful ❤️
I have never heard this song any prettier ever! Thank you for blessing us with your God-given talent, both of you! This begs to be listened to over and over!!!!
Mr Paul, y’all sang this so beautiful. Miss Maria you have a lovely voice. I’ll be listening to this again for sure. Paul, you and Maria should sing together often. I do not think I ever heard this sang so perfect by anyone. Thank God for y’all’s talent. You are truly blessed. Love and best wishes to Miss Louzine. Prays up for all who need God to lift them up from their deep pits and help them through these trials.
I haven’t heard this in years. She has such a beautiful voice.
Amen! Thank you ! That was so beautiful!!!!! And Maria has a gorgeous voice !!! Thank you both !!! ❤️
Wow! So much talent in your family.
This was so beautiful. Thank you❤️
thank you each and everyone who prays for my brother
Hallelujah and Amen!
What a blessing! Thank you for sharing. As always praying for Granny.
Paul, I loved this when I first heard it earlier in the week and I have to say you and Maria did an amazing job! It’s just beautiful and I had rather have Jesus than anything else. Have a blessed Sunday!
Two words. Thank you.
Maria is great!
That was beautiful and a blessing. Thank you.
Such a beautiful old hymn. Thank you, Paul and Maria, for singing and sharing it with us. Many ‘moons’ ago, I volunteered at a Billy Graham Crusade when one came near my community. It was a very moving and wonderful experience.
Beautiful! Hearing this adds promise to the cloudy sky this morning after the overnight rain, with peaks of sun shining through as the clouds seem to swiftly move along. I hope the two of you will sing more for us. Thanks for sharing.
Just beautiful. It is humbling. My sister and I have been singing all our lives in most little country churches in Sevierville County. I have led this song in our own church many years. I have heard my brother who is a preacher play the piano and sing it, but this morning as you and Paul sang it, tears welled up because the older you get and reflect on life Jesus has always been the anchor through really hard times and through the best of times. You see your family leave this earth one by one, but Jesus has held your hand through it all. I’d would rather have Jesus than anything. You have blessed my heart. Thank you. Hope Granny is having a good day. God bless.
Beautiful! Maria inherited her daddy’s talent.
Maria’s voice is so beautiful. I enjoyed this so much, thank you for sharing. What a good way to start my morning!
Maaria has a beautiful voice. Your family is just full of talent. I have always loved this song & enjoyed hearing it this morning.
Lifting up prayers for the entire Wilson family this morning.
Wonderful!
AMEN! GOOD SINGING!
That was absolutely beautiful! You and Maria sing perfectly together…a great way to start my Sunday morning…and so true.
I love this song because it is a soul-searcher. Each line is like a mirror and asks the question, “Is this me?”. And it is so good line by line to have the answer, ‘yes and forever and always yes’ even though we know that if tested we could find it agonizing to live it out. (As in fact the Lord did, to have the Father. But for him, he knew that in the last moments even that connection would be broken for our sakes.) What a way to start Sunday morning! Did Miller unknowingly write that song for Shea? And did his mother know without knowing how she knew? And how did he create the melody the same day he saw the words? These are the kinds of things our Lord commonly does. What a voice Maria has. If I were musical I might have the right words but the word that comes to mind is simply marvelous in its most literal meaning. You all know way better than I do what I mean, not a hint of ‘off’ throughout. And Paul, I think I recognize in you a struggle of my own. I am never completely satisfied with anything I do. I can’t ever ‘pat myself on the back’ because it feels wrong to me. But the way I see it, you wanted to give Maria the very best accompaniment and I’ m sure you recall “If there first be a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.” (if correctly remembered). Thank you. Thanks to Maria also.
I love it when you sing and it is always great to hear your family too. . I looked up Mrs Miller, the song writer, and found the story about how she wrote the song. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42445380/rhea_florence-miller . I’ll keep everyone here and up Wilson Hollow in my prayers. I love Y’all.
Beautiful song and she has a beautiful voice. I always love to hear Paul sing. I’m glad y’all are doing this. Love watching Paul and Tipper, I absolutely love to watch you and Matt and the girls. Keep up the good work. I can always use a prayer.
I know many of us see how important and the closeness of your family is to you. Late yesterday afternoon, I had my three boys- son and two grandsons with me, we grilled hamburgers and sorta celebrated my son and one grandson having birthdays this coming week. Now with the way I am since my wife, daughter and many other deaths of family, I cannot put into words the happiness and joy I had from us being together and doing this. Without being religious, time spent with them is the most important thing I now do. But even though I was joyful, I felt some sadness because of my wife and daughter deaths and them not being with us. I kept waking up during the night because of still being so joyful.
Paul your harmony was great. I can see why it’s fun to song with Maria..she’s “spot on.” Both of you are so talented.
Truly I’d rather have Jesus than anything. He’s our dearest friend. Continued prayers for strength.
Beautiful, uplifting song. One that I grew up with singing in church. Maria has a beautiful voice. A wonderful way to start Sunday morning.
the test results are back, my brother has a fast-growing cancer, Bennie Chester, he got his biopsy results, thank you for praying, it is adenocarcinoma, right now he is using ivermectin, I think it is a parasitic medication, he’s doing some studies on it, and got some more cases to investigate where people have been cured and he would have cancer, he has sent me some information, mixing it with fenbendazole, and some other things, thank you for praying and please continue to do so, I appreciate it so much God bless you
Norman, I’m so sorry. I will continue to pray for your brother and for you too.
thank you very much, God bless Granny Wilson
I’m sorry Bennie is having to go through all of this. I will keep on praying for him.
So sorry to hear this, Norman. I will be praying for your brother.
thank you Gloria, that was my mother’s name Gloria,God bless you very much
Beautiful!
Enjoyed listening to y’all singing this morning. Today’s religious songs can’t hold a candle to a song like this and “How Great Thou Art.” The company I worked for would have a talent competition between the employees each year to raise money for United Way. One employee named Vic would sing How Great Thou Art without any music. I don’t know about the rest of the people, but it would put chill bumps on me when he sung, he was as good as anyone I have ever heard sing it. I have watched Billy Graham many times on TV and went to one of his sermons at the old “Textile Hall “ in Greenville, SC when I was a young boy. I also remember many years ago when many of the TV preachers were found out to have dirt on them, no one could find a speck of dust on Billy Graham, George Shea or any others in his ministry.