“The Family Bible” Article from Mark Tassler and Country Thang Daily
Who would have thought that the country gospel tune that Claude Gray released in 1960 was all written by Willie Nelson? Yes, that’s right! Nelson was the brainchild of “Family Bible,” which earned Gray a spot on the Billboard Hot Country Songs. Willie Nelson is like royalty to the music industry. He has been an architect to the business.
So what was the starting point for Willie? As near as I can tell, it was writing the song "Family Bible'. “Family Bible” was written in 1957 and recorded by Claude Gray in 1960. It was inspired by Nelson’s grandmother, Nancy Smothers, who liked to read from the bible and sing “Rock of Ages” after dinner.
Nelson began writing the song in 1957, while he enjoyed success as a disc jockey at KVAN, in Vancouver, Washington. After being denied a raise by the station, he moved to Houston, Texas.
Next when he was in need financially, he sold the song to Paul Buskirk. Buskirk took the song to Claude Gray.
The story of Buskirk and Nelson is an interesting one itself. Buskirk was a guitar instructor at a school. He and Willie had dinner together and Willie had no money to pay the check. All he could do was sing the song to Buskirk and offer to sell it to him for $50 and the cost of the meal.
The next thing that Willie Nelson did, was to take the advice from Hoyt Axton's mother, Mae Boren Axton, and move to Nashville and dedicate himself to song writing full-time. He met her while working at the radio station in Washington. Gray recorded “Family Bible” on December 18, 1959, at Goldstar Studios. After its release, Gray’s recording of the song reached no. 7 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles. Also, Billboard remarked that the song was “very well done,” and gave it a rating of 3 stars out of 5. Unfortunately, when the song was first published, it did not include any credit to Nelson as the songwriter. Instead, it named Buskirk, Gray, and Walt Breeland as those who penned it. Later, Nelson declared that he did not regret selling the song. In fact, he stated: “I felt if I could write one hit song, I could write another.”
After getting to Nashville, he earned a recognition as a songwriter and was even rightfully credited for the song. And in 1971, he then recorded it for his album Yesterday’s Wine. Following in 1980, he used “Family Bible” as the title track of his gospel album. He released it in the same year. To date he has written 337 songs including those where he is credited as co-author.
“The Family Bible” There's a family Bible on the table
Each page is torn and hard to read
But the family Bible on the table
Will ever be my key to memories
At the end of day when work was over
And when the evening meal was done
Dad would read to us from the family Bible
And we'd count our many blessings one by one
I can see us sittin' round the table
When from the family Bible dad would read
I can hear my mother softly singing
Rock of ages rock of ages cleft for me
Now this old world of ours is full of trouble
This old world would also better be
If we'd find more Bibles on the tables
And mothers singing rock of ages cleft for me
I can see us sittin' round the table
When from the family Bible dad would read
I can hear my mother softly singing
Rock of ages rock of ages cleft for me
Rock of ages rock of ages cleft for me But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17