HYMN TIME #6: "What A Friend We Have In Jesus"... and R.I.P. Doc Watson

Old Doc Watson just passed from this mortal coil.  What a Rare American Treasure he was!  If you want to hear possibly the greatest single Gospel CD ever, check out his classic 1993 album ON PRAYING GROUND. His recording of this hymn isn't on that album however.  It's from an 80's era album recorded with his son Merle [killed in '85] called DOWN SOUTH.  It was the first Doc record I ever bought [on vinyl o'course] and I bought many more after that.

Take a listen and hear how praise music should REALLY be done:

This old hymn was originally written circa 1855 by one Joseph M. Scriven, who wrote it to com­fort his mother in Ire­land, from whom he was separated. It was orig­in­al­ly pub­lished anon­y­mous­ly, and Scriv­en did not re­ceive full cred­it for al­most 30 years.  The music was supplied by Charles Converse in 1868.  It is a great poem to the friend above all friends.

 

"A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."

PROVERBS 18:24

Peace