Fanny Crosby

Frances Jane van Alstyne (née Crosby; March 24, 1820 – February 12, 1915), more commonly known as Fanny J. Crosby, was an American mission worker, poet, lyricist, and composer. She was a prolific hymnist, writing more than 8,000 hymns and gospel songs, with more than 100 million copies printed. She is also known for her teaching and her rescue mission work. By the end of the 19th century, she was a household name.

Crosby was known as the "Queen of Gospel Song Writers" and as the "Mother of modern congregational singing in America", with most American hymnals containing her work. Her gospel songs were "paradigmatic of all revival music", and Ira Sankey attributed the success of the Moody and Sankey evangelical campaigns largely to Crosby's hymns. Some of Crosby's best-known songs include "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour", "Blessed Assurance", "Jesus Is Tenderly Calling You Home", "Praise Him, Praise Him", "Rescue the Perishing", and "To God Be the Glory". Some publishers were hesitant to have so many hymns by one person in their hymnals, so Crosby used nearly 200 different pseudonyms during her career.

Crosby also wrote more than 1,000 secular poems and had four books of poetry published, as well as two best-selling autobiographies. Additionally, she co-wrote popular secular songs, as well as political and patriotic songs and at least five cantatas on biblical and patriotic themes, including The Flower Queen, the first secular cantata by an American composer. She was committed to Christian rescue missions and was known for her public speaking.

Birth and Death Data: Born March 24, 1820 (Brewster), Died February 12, 1915 (Bridgeport)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1899 - 1940

Roles Represented in DAHR: lyricist, songwriter

Notes: Name also appears as Frances van Alstyne, Frances Jane Crosby, Frances J. Crosby, or F. J. Crosby.

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 26-50 of 96 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-24310 10-in. 7/9/1920 Tell me the story of Jesus Homer A. Rodeheaver Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-25583 10-in. 9/30/1921 Near the Cross Raymond Dixon ; Alice Green Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-26416 10-in. 4/18/1922 Jesus my all Elsie Baker ; Olive Kline Female vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-26453 10-in. 5/5/1922 Pass me not, O gentle saviour Clifford Cairns ; Charles Harrison Male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-27783 10-in. 4/26/1923 Saved by grace Henry Burr ; Albert Campbell Male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-31306 10-in. 11/7/1924 Only a beam of sunshine Franklyn Baur ; Lewis James Male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor BVE-32593 10-in. 5/11/1925 Blessed assurance Mark Love Male vocal solo, with organ lyricist  
Victor BVE-33126 10-in. 8/3/1925 Saved by grace Reinald Werrenrath Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor BVE-33164 10-in. 8/12/1925 Safe in the arms of Jesus Henry Burr Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor CVE-33410 12-in. 9/14/1925 Open the gates of the temple Richard Crooks Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor BVE-33496 10-in. 11/2/1925 Calling thee Mrs. William Asher ; Homer A. Rodeheaver Female-male vocal duet, with pipe organ lyricist  
Victor BVE-39743 10-in. 7/29/1927 To the work Alfred G. Karnes Male vocal solo, with guitar (self-accompaniment) lyricist  
Victor BVE-40319 10-in. 10/20/1927 Rescue the perishing Stamps Quartet Male vocal quartet, with piano lyricist  
Victor CVE-42513 12-in. 2/17/1928 Open the gates of the temple Richard Crooks Tenor vocal solo, with pipe organ lyricist  
Victor BVE-56739 10-in. 10/2/1929 Pass me not, oh gentle saviour John Seagle ; Leonard Stokes Male vocal duet, with organ lyricist  
Victor BS-74999 10-in. 1/23/1933 Rescue the perishing Salvation Army Male Quartet Male vocal quartet, unaccompanied lyricist  
Victor BVE-82843 10-in. 7/31/1934 From the cross to the crown Smith’s Sacred Singers Male vocal ensemble, with piano lyricist  
Victor BVE-82859 10-in. 7/31/1934 Jesus is calling Smith’s Sacred Singers Male vocal quartet, with piano lyricist  
Victor BVE-82861 10-in. 7/31/1934 Saved by grace Smith’s Sacred Singers Male vocal quartet, with piano lyricist  
Victor BVE-83647 10-in. 7/27/1934 Saved by grace Seth Parker Trio Mixed vocal trio, with organ songwriter  
Victor BVE-83650 10-in. 7/27/1934 Close to Thee Seth Parker Trio Mixed vocal trio, with organ lyricist  
Victor BS-056926 10-in. 10/17/1940 Saved by grace Edward MacHugh ; William Meeder Male vocal solo, with organ lyricist  
Columbia 1747 10-in. between January and March 1904 Safe in the arms of Jesus Henry Burr Male vocal solo, with organ lyricist  
Columbia 3685 10-in. between January and August 1907 Saved by grace Henry Burr Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 4458 10-in. between January and July 1910 Rescue the perishing Harry Anthony ; James F. Harrison Male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
(Results 26-50 of 96 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Crosby, Fanny," accessed April 23, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102169.

Crosby, Fanny. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 23, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102169.

"Crosby, Fanny." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 23 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102169

Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license

Feedback

Send the Editors a message about this record.