by David Bruce Murray | June 21, 2021 2:00 PM
The suggestion to write a song emphasizing the word “touch” was made to William J. Gaither by evangelist Dr. Dale Oldham. “He Touched Me” was Gaither’s fifty-fourth song in a catalog that would eventually surpass 700. Gaither wrote the song in 1963, and the Bill Gaither Trio recorded it in 1964.
It may come as a surprise to some of you to learn the recording by Gaither’s own trio was not the first.
Earlier in 1964, Dr. Oldham’s son Doug Oldham recorded “He Touched Me.” It was the opening track on his 1964 album Songs That Touch The Heart. Aside from the color and one word in the title, the album’s cover was identical to Oldham’s previous release Songs That Lift The Heart.
Check out the original recording of “He Touched Me” below:
According to Hymnary.org, “He Touched Me” has been published in at least 20 hymnals over the years. The number of recordings is likely in the thousands considering that so many amateur groups have recorded the song as well as virtually every professional Southern Gospel artist. Several artists have released more than one version over the years including a considerable number by Gaither himself as part of the Bill Gaither Trio, the Gaither Vocal Band, and the Homecoming video series.
Below is a list of artists who have recorded “He Touched Me.” This list is a mere fraction of the total but is long enough to show the song’s vast impact.
Source URL: https://blog.musicscribe.com/2021/06/the-originals-he-touched-me/
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