American evangelist, music director, music publisher, composer of gospel songs, and a pioneer in the recording of sacred music, Rodeheaver was born on October 4, 1880, in Cinco Hollow, Hocking County, Ohio, and passed away on December 18, 1955.
As a child, Rodeheaver moved with his family to Jellico, Tennessee, where he assisted his father in the lumber mill business. While he was exposed to mountain ballads during his upbringing, he developed a preference for Negro spirituals due to their rich harmony, rhythm, and clear religious purpose. He began playing the cornet, later transitioning to the trombone while attending Ohio Wesleyan College, where he also served as a cheerleader.
In 1898, he left college to serve in the Fourth Tennessee Band during the Spanish-American War. By 1904, Rodeheaver had joined evangelist William E. Biederwolf as a music director. He later held the same position with Billy Sunday, one of the era's most prominent evangelists, from 1910 to 1930. Following Sunday's death in 1935, Rodeheaver wrote a memoir reflecting on their relationship.
As Music Director for Billy Sunday, Rodeheaver showcased his talents in various settings. When presented to the New York Advertising Club by Lowell Thomas, he successfully encouraged the attendees to sing "Pray the Clouds Away." Will Rogers remarked on Rodeheaver's ability to incite singing among any crowd, stating, "Everyone sings for Rody!" Notably, during a chance encounter on a golf course, John D. Rockefeller, Sr. took a break to sing "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go, Dear Lord" with him. In 1940, Rodeheaver led the singing for a massive crowd of 250,000 at Wendell Willkie's homecoming in Elwood, Indiana.
Before the advent of electronic amplification, Rodeheaver discovered that his trombone could project sound more effectively than his voice or piano. He often led congregational singing using his trombone, seamlessly alternating between playing and directing. During a Sunday tent campaign in Kansas, a severe storm caused chaos, but Rodeheaver's trombone playing helped calm the panicked crowd.
In addition to directing, Rodeheaver utilized his baritone voice for solos and collaborations, particularly with contralto Virginia Asher. At the height of the Sunday evangelistic campaigns, he directed large choruses comprising hundreds to thousands of volunteers. He believed in the harmony of blending gospel songs with classical pieces, exemplified by his choirs performing "Master, the Tempest is Raging" followed by Handel's Hallelujah Chorus.
Rodeheaver's recording career began in 1913 with the Victor Talking Machine Company, a partnership that lasted for two decades. He also recorded for Gennett, Columbia, and created his own label, Rainbow Records. His recordings, including "The Unclouded Day" and "The Great Judgement Morning," gained such popularity that they were often re-recorded to meet demand. He also recorded recitations of sentimental poetry, including Paul Laurence Dunbar's "When Malindy Sings" in 1916.
Over the course of his career, Rodeheaver recorded for at least eighteen labels and produced around five hundred recordings. His most frequently recorded piece was the theme song "Brighten The Corner Where You Are," which he recorded for at least seventeen different labels. Other notable titles include "Mother's Prayers Have Followed Me," "If Your Heart Keeps Right," "The Old Rugged Cross," "Since Jesus Came Into My Heart," "In The Garden," and "My Wonderful Dream."
In 1910, Rodeheaver founded the Rodeheaver Company, a music publishing business that compiled gospel songs for revival sales. In 1936, he acquired the Hall-Mack Company and integrated it into his publishing operations, based in Winona Lake, Indiana. He collaborated with songwriters like B. D. Ackley and Charles H. Gabriel while also composing notable pieces himself, such as "When Jesus Came." Around 1922, his company began releasing 78-rpm records under the Rainbow label, marking the nation's first record company exclusively dedicated to gospel music.
Throughout his two-decade partnership with Billy Sunday, Rodeheaver earned an estimated $80,000 to $90,000, although he later acknowledged that his earnings from music publishing and other sources were more than four times that amount during the same period.
