Luther B. Bridgers

Who is Luther B. Bridgers?

Luther B. Bridgers was an American songwriter and minister. He was born on February 14, 1884, in Margarettsville, North Carolina. Bridgers attended Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky, and received an honorary doctorate in 1921 for his greatly successful evangelistic efforts. He was ordained in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South and pastored congregations in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina. A gifted singer and pianist, Bridgers also penned a number of hymns, the most famous being "He Keeps Me Singing" which was first published Charles D. Tillman's The Revival hymnal #6 in March, 1910. The tune was derived from "Melody of Love," a popular song of the day, written by Hans Engelmann in 1903.

On March 26, 1911, while Bridgers' wife and children were visiting her parents in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, they were killed in a house fire. It has often been misreported that from this tragedy, Bridgers wrote the words and music for "He Keeps Me Singing." Undoubtedly, the song took on a greater poignance after the incident, as Bridgers grew in reputation as a powerful preacher in revival meetings throughout the South.