Hymn Writers Biographies

Discover the lives, stories, and spiritual journeys of the authors behind classic hymns and worship songs.

931 writers 931 authors added 1,818 hymns indexed by authors Top 3: Bill & Gloria Gaither, Anonymous, Traditional English Hymns
Placide Cappeau

Placide Cappeau

1 hymn 5426 views
Placide Cappeau (1808–1877) occupies one of the most ironic and fascinating positions in Christian hymnology. An avowed atheist, freethinker, and …
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Priscilla J. Owens

Priscilla J. Owens

3 hymns 7232 views
Priscilla Jane Owens (1829–1907) was an influential 19th-century American hymnwriter and dedicated educator whose lifelong ministry within the Sunday School …
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Psalms

Psalms

3 hymns 4173 views
The Book of Psalms is one of the most important books in the Bible, found in the Old Testament. It …
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R. B. Y. Scott

R. B. Y. Scott

1 hymn 382 views
R. B. Y. Scott (1899–1987), born Robert Balgarnie Young Scott, was one of the most distinguished Canadian Old Testament scholars, …
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R. E. Hudson

R. E. Hudson

3 hymns 4659 views
Ralph E. Hudson (1843–1901), born Ralph Erskine Hudson, was a dynamic force in the late 19th-century American gospel music movement. …
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Ralph Carmichael

Ralph Carmichael

3 hymns 3807 views
Ralph Carmichael (1927–2021), universally recognized as the "Father of Contemporary Christian Music" (CCM), was a towering, revolutionary figure who single-handedly …
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Ralph Vaughan Williams

Ralph Vaughan Williams

1 hymn 1556 views
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958) stands as the towering colossus of 20th-century English music. A master symphonist, conductor, and ethnomusicologist, he …
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Ray Boltz

Ray Boltz

1 hymn 2460 views
Ray Boltz (born June 14, 1953) was one of the most prominent and commercially successful singer-songwriters in the Contemporary Christian …
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Ray Overholt

Ray Overholt

1 hymn 5134 views
Ray Overholt (1924–2008) was an American country-western entertainer turned traveling gospel singer and evangelist. He is immortalized in Christian hymnody …
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Ray Palmer

Ray Palmer

1 hymn 2542 views
Ray Palmer (1808–1887) is widely celebrated as one of the finest and most intellectually refined American hymn writers of the …
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Raymond Gunn

Raymond Gunn

1 hymn 790 views
Raymond Lawrence Gunn (1925–2015) was an American music educator, church organist, and minister who spent decades fostering a love for …
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Reginald Heber

Reginald Heber

8 hymns 24798 views
Reginald Heber (1783–1826) was an English Anglican bishop, poet, and hymn writer whose texts became influential within the Anglican tradition …
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