Have you ever heard a song so powerful that it gave you goosebumps from head to toe? That is exactly what happens when people listen to the famous church hymn “How Great Thou Art.”
While many people have sung this beautiful song in church, two gigantic music stars transformed it into a famous stage masterpiece: the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Presley, and country music superstar Carrie Underwood.
Long before Elvis and Carrie sang the song on big stages, both stars grew up singing gospel music in their local churches. To them, these church songs were like a warm, comforting hug. When Elvis became a giant movie star in the 1960s, he grew tired of singing simple, silly movie tunes. He wanted to sing music that truly touched his heart. So, he went into the recording studio and sang “How Great Thou Art” with all the passion in his soul.
Elvis Presley, How Great Thou Art Live
Elvis did not just sing the hymn right away; instead, he made his version unforgettable. He began the song with a quiet, calm voice, slowly building up the power after each verse.
By the very end, his voice soared high above a massive choir! The song was such a huge success that it won Elvis his very first Grammy Award in 1968, and a live version in Memphis won him another one in 1975!
Decades later, a young girl from Oklahoma named Carrie Underwood felt that same deep love for the hymn. Carrie grew up singing church songs as a little girl before winning American Idol and becoming a huge country star. In 2011, she performed “How Great Thou Art” alongside guitarist Vince Gill. Just like Elvis, Carrie started the song very quietly. Then, as the music grew louder, she let out the full, unbelievable power of her voice, bringing the entire room of people to their feet!
Carrie Underwood How Great Thou Art Live Elvis All Star Tribute
Carrie loved the song so much that she sang it in a special Elvis tribute show, recorded it on her own Grammy-winning gospel album called My Savior, and even surprised a local church by singing it on Easter Sunday. She proved that you do not need to change a classic song to make it special. Both Elvis and Carrie showed the world that when you sing from the heart, a simple church hymn can move the entire world.