A. J. Showalter
Anthony Johnson Showalter (May 1, 1858 – September 14, 1924) was an American gospel music composer, teacher and publisher. He was born in Cherry Grove, Virginia. Showalter was trained in the Ruebush-Kieffer School of Music and was teaching in shape note singing schools by age fourteen. In 1884, he formed the Showalter Music Company of Dalton, Georgia. He was also an elder of the First Presbyterian Church in Dalton. Showalter's best known song is "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms", which was published in 1887. He has generally been credited with writing the music and chorus. However, Showalter's nephew, Samuel Duncan, is also credited with some of the music for the verses. Elisha Hoffman wrote some of the verses. The song features prominently in the score of Night of the Hunter, serving as a leitmotif for Robert Mitchum's character Reverend Harry Powell, and forms about a quarter of the score of the 2010 film True Grit. Showalter authored several rudimentary books on music theory and a book on harmony and song composition. These were widely used in singing schools across the South. He died in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1924 and is buried at West Hill Cemetery in Dalton. |
Birth and Death Data: Born May 1, 1858 (Cherry Grove), Died September 14, 1924 (Chattanooga)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1928 - 1929
Roles Represented in DAHR: composer
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BVE-47156 | 10-in. | 10/6/1928 | In the evening take me home | Gentry Family | Male vocal quartet | composer | |
Victor | BVE-57781 | 10-in. | 12/16/1929 | I'll be there | Frank McCravy ; James McCravy | Male vocal duet, with instrumental ensemble | composer | |
OKeh | W402389 | 10-in. | 3/20/1929 | Leaning on the everlasting arms | The Irene Spain Family | Vocal trio, with viola and autoharp | composer |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Showalter, A. J.," accessed November 17, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/108921.
Showalter, A. J.. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 17, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/108921.
"Showalter, A. J.." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 17 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Anthony Johnson Showalter
Grove: A. J. Showalter
IMSLP: A. J. Showalter
IMDb: A. J. Showalter
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Showalter, A. J. (Anthony Johnson), 1858-1924 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no90001299
Wikidata: Anthony Johnson Showalter - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q4772842
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/46318977
MusicBrainz: Anthony Johnson Showalter - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/0034acaa-2fff-4fdd-9ed4-135a55896d8b
ISNI: 0000 0000 7409 2025 - http://www.isni.org/isni/0000000074092025
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