Rudy Atwood

Rudolph Atwood (December 16, 1912 – October 16, 1992) was an American Christian music pianist, primarily known for his years as accompanist on the long-running Old Fashioned Revival Hour radio program led by Charles E. Fuller from 1937 to 1968 on the Mutual Broadcasting System and later, the ABC Radio Network. After Fuller's death in 1968, Atwood continued to play on the successor program, The Joyful Sound. He made many recordings accompanying the program's quartet and choir and made appearances playing the piano at various churches and concerts until his death in 1992.[1] He was known as "the most imitated pianist in gospel music", for his improvisations and arrangements of traditional hymns.[2][3]

Rudy Atwood
Atwood at the piano
Born(1912-12-16)December 16, 1912
Marion, Illinois, U.S.
DiedOctober 16, 1992(1992-10-16) (aged 79)
Los Angeles, California
OccupationPianist
Years active1932–1992

Early years

Atwood was born in 1912 in Marion, Illinois, to a Baptist family. When he was 10-years old, his family moved to California. At age 14, Atwood started playing the piano at a church in Pasadena and he became interested in studying the music of his favorite composer, J. S. Bach. In later years he attributed his hymn playing technique to the influence of Bach and the study of classical music.[4]

As to his skill in improvisation, Atwood wrote: "As I look back now, I really can't tell when I found the ability to improvise. I suppose it was in those [high school] days that I began to experiment, playing the bass in octaves and filling in the chords of the right hand. It was in those first efforts when I came up with the right harmonies, and the runs began to fall into place".[4]

Music career

Atwood joined evangelist Charles E. Fuller's popular Old Fashioned Revival Hour nationwide radio broadcast in 1937, accompanying the choir and paid quartet on the piano.[1] By the end of that year, the weekly program with Atwood at the piano was heard by a nationwide audience of 10 million listeners on 88 stations.[1] In its heyday in the 1940s and early 1950s, the program was carried on hundreds of stations across the United States on the Mutual Broadcasting System and, later, the ABC Radio Network, and the audience had grown to an estimated 20 million listeners.[4][5][6] Atwood played the piano for the entire 32-year run of the Old Fashioned Revival Hour, until Fuller's death in 1968.[4] He continued to play on the successor program, The Joyful Sound.[1] Atwood made many recordings accompanying the Old Fashioned Revival Hour quartet and choir and also published many of his well-liked hymn arrangements for piano.[7]

In the 1970s, Atwood began making guest appearances playing the piano at various churches and concert halls until shortly before his death at age 79 in 1992.[3] His performances included New York City's Madison Square Garden, Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., and the Hollywood Bowl.[8] He also was pianist at Perry Hall Baptist Church in a suburb of Baltimore, Maryland, between 1971–1973.[3]

Atwood's signature style of continuous left-hand octave doublings and right-hand arpeggios captivated audiences and was widely copied by many other evangelical pianists of the period.[4][6] His prominence was enhanced by the popularity of radio as a mass medium for evangelism in the 1930s–1950s by such radio evangelists as Fuller, M. R. DeHaan, Theodore Epp, G. E. Lowman, Percy Crawford, and, later, Billy Graham.[4] Atwood was known as "the most imitated pianist in gospel music", for his improvisations and arrangements of traditional hymns.[2][3] In his treatise on the increasing importance of the piano in twentieth century American Protestant evangelism, The Origins of Evangelical Pianism, author Theodore L. Gentry called Atwood, "probably the most important pianist of the radio revival period".[4]

Discography

Atwood made more than 60 recordings as both piano soloist and accompanist to various Old Fashioned Revival Hour ensembles.[7] His recordings include:

  • My Savior first of all
  • Wonderful old chestnuts
  • The incomparable Rudy Atwood
  • Keyboard Rhapsodies : gospel organ & piano duets with registrations for all organs
  • Just a little talk with Jesus
  • Blessed be the name
  • Gospel grandeur
  • Rudy Atwood piano favorites
  • Jesus is a friend of mine

Published works

Atwood published his autobiography, The Rudy Atwood Story, in 1970.[3][4] Many of his hymn arrangements for piano have been published, among them:[7][9]

  • Gospel Piano Techniques
  • Jesus Shall Reign: 10 Classic Solo Piano Arrangements
  • Rudy Atwood Piano Arrangements, vols. 1 and 2
  • The golden collection of 50 all-time great hymns and gospel songs

Personal life and legacy

Atwood married Marguerite Grace Murray (1915–1983) in 1938 and they made their home in Pasadena, California.[10] His music is still heard on rebroadcasts of the Old Fashioned Revival Hour and some of his recordings have been re-mastered on compact discs, such as Our Great Savior with Rudy Atwood.[11][12]

References
  1. Ward, Mark (2017). The Lord's Radio, Gospel Music Broadcasting and the Making of Evangelical Culture, 1920–1960. McFarland. pp. 70–74. ISBN 1476628890.
  2. "Bethel Church hosts pianist Rudy Atwood". Richmond Review. British Columbia, Canada. June 1, 1973. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Sacred Musician Appears at ABI". Beckley Post-Herald. February 21, 1973. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. Gentry, Theodore L. (Spring 1993). "The Origins of Evangelical Pianism". American Music. University of Illinois Press. 11 (1): 106–108. JSTOR 3052448.
  5. Ward, p. 3.
  6. Burgan, Read G. (February 2, 1996). "Charles E. Fuller's Old Fashioned Revival Hour". Radio World – via rgbdigitalaudio.com.
  7. "Rudy Atwood". WorldCat.org. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  8. "Gospel recital set at Winifred church". Marysville Advocate. Marysville, Kansas. October 8, 1992. p. 9C – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Rudy Atwood books and textbooks". booksprice.com. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  10. "Rudy Atwood, Gospel Pianist". Embassy Media. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  11. "Old Fashioned Revival Hour". Pasadina, CA. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  12. "Our Great Savior with Rudy Atwood". Pasadina, CA: Old Fashioned Revival Hour. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
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