The Queen of Gospel Song Writers

Fanny Crosby

By Marilyn Turk

How many of you know the hymn “Rescue the Perishing?” Or “Blessed Assurance” or “To God Be the Glory?”

Did you know they were written by a blind woman?

Indeed, they and about 8000 other hymns and gospel songs were written by Frances Jane Crosby, otherwise known as Fanny Crosby. Born in 1820, Fanny is one of the most prolific hymn writers in history. Over 100 million copies of her songs have been printed. She’s known as the “Queen of Gospel Song Writers and the “mother of modern congregational singing in America.”

Most American hymnals contain her work, rivaling Isaac Watts and Charles Wesley in productivity. In addition to hymns written under her own name, she wrote under almost 200 pseudonyms because some publishers were reluctant to have so many hymns by one person in their hymnals. She also composed over 1000 poems, as well as, secular and patriotic songs.

Fanny became blind months after she was born, a fact she considered a gift from God. At the age of eight, she wrote her first poem. Years later, she said, “It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank Him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow, I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things around me.”

Fanny Crosby

She also once said, “When I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior.”

Fanny gave credit to her blindness for her good memory as well, saying that had it not been for the affliction, she might not have so good an education, have so great an influence, and certainly not so fine a memory. And what a memory she had. Vefore the invention of braille, she was not able to write herself, so she had to dictate her hymns to someone else, sometimes storing as many as twelve in her mind at once before they could be dictated. At one point, Fanny composed forty hymns before they were transcribed.

Her creative productivity was amazing and her work ethic impressive. But the secret to her talent lay in her method. She described it this way. “It may seem a little old-fashioned, always to begin one’s work with prayer, but I never undertake a hymn without first asking the good Lord to be my inspiration.”

In addition to her method, her motivation stirred her to write, setting a personal goal to win a million people to Christ through her hymns, and that, too, was part of her prayers.

Although Fanny Crosby is best known for her hymns, she preferred to be known as a city mission worker. As she aged, she saw her true vocation as one who helped the needy, inner-city people rather than as a famous songwriter. She preferred to live in the poorer areas of Manhattan to better relate to the needs of those in urban rescue missions. Afraid to be considered wealthy, she gave away most of her earnings to those less fortunate. Many of her hymns were inspired by her involvement in missions, in particular, “Rescue the Perishing,” which became the theme song for the home missions movement.

Do you have a favorite Fanny Crosby hymn?

Fanny Crosby's Tombstone, Died Feb. 12, 1915

Marilyn Turk lives in and writes about the coastal South. By popular demand, her lighthouse blog at marilynturk.com, has spawned Lighthouse Devotions, now available at Amazon. Click here.