1847 - 1909 Composer of "[The whole wide world for Jesus]" in The Cokesbury Hymnal Will Lamartine Thompson (1847-1909)
Born: November 7, 1847, East Liverpool, Ohio.
Died: September 20, 1909, New York, New York.
Buried: Riverview Cemetery, East Liverpool, Ohio.
Rebuffed in an early attempt to sell his songs to a commercial publisher, Thompson started his own publishing company. He later expanded, opening a store to sell pianos, organs and sheet music. Both a lyricist and composer, he ensured he would always remember words or melodies that came to him at odd times:
"No matter where I am, at home or hotel, at the store or traveling, if an idea or theme comes to me that I deem worthy of a song, I jot it down in verse. In this way I never lose it."
Thompson took ill during a tour of Europe, and his family cut short their travels to return home. He died a few weeks later.
Music--
1.Jesus Is All the World to Me
2.Lead Me Gently Home, Father
3.Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling
4.There’s a Great Day Coming
--hymntime.com/tch
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Various biographical sketches and newspaper articles about Thompson are available in the DNAH Archives.
Will L. Thompson
My Starred Hymns
My FlexScores
My Hymnals
My Purchased Files
