I Sing Because by lazarus57

lazarus57 - I Sing Because

lazarus57

Jun 21, 2025 04:32pm

Gospel Songs ( CONTEST);<img src="https://singsnap-cdn.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/message-board/threads/9NKX/243295e9a4_DO2I_media.jpg"> Squire Enos Parsons Jr. (April 4, 1948 – May 5, 2025) was an American <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_gospel" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Southern gospel</a> singer and songwriter. He was born in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton,_West_Virginia" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Newton, West Virginia</a>, to Squire and Maysel Parsons,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squire_Parsons#cite_note-bcarp-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[1]</a> and was introduced to music by his father, who was a choir director and deacon at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Newton_Baptist_Church&action=edit&redlink=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(191, 60, 44);">Newton Baptist Church</a>. Squire's father taught him to sing using <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaped_notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">shaped notes</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squire_Parsons#cite_note-spar-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[2]</a>Musical careerIn 1970, Parsons earned a Bachelor of Science in music from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Virginia_University_Institute_of_Technology" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">West Virginia University Institute of Technology</a> in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montgomery,_West_Virginia" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Montgomery</a>, where he was trained on the piano and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bassoon" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">bassoon</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squire_Parsons#cite_note-spar-2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[2]</a>Following graduation, he accepted a teaching position at Hannan High School in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mason_County,_West_Virginia" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Mason County</a>, West Virginia, and served as music director of various churches.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squire_Parsons#cite_note-Bassonist_Turns_Baritone-3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[3]</a> During this period, he wrote "Sweet Beulah Land", his signature song.He joined the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingsmen_Quartet" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Kingsmen Quartet</a> as a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baritone" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">baritone</a> in 1975 and toured with them for four years before embarking on a solo career.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squire_Parsons#cite_note-4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[4]</a>In 1975, Parsons was ordained as a minister at Trinity Baptist Church in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asheville,_North_Carolina" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Asheville, North Carolina</a>. Among his most popular compositions are "The Master of the Sea", "Walk On", "He Came to Me", "I Call it Home", "I Sing Because", "I'm Not Giving Up", and "Sweet Beulah Land".He appeared in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Rock,_Arkansas" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Little Rock</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revival_meeting" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Crusade</a> with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Graham" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Billy Graham</a> and performed with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaither_Homecoming" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Gaither Homecoming Choir</a>. He performed as the lead singer of The Squire Parsons Trio, and lived in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leicester,_North_Carolina" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Leicester</a>, North Carolina, with his wife Linda.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squire_Parsons#cite_note-5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[5]</a>His songs have been recorded by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Free" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Brian Free</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaither_Vocal_Band" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Gaither Vocal Band</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_City" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Gold City</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Parker" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Ivan Parker</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_Heirs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Kingdom Heirs</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blackwood_Brothers" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">the Blackwood Brothers</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cathedrals" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">The Cathedrals</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Florida_Boys" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">The Florida Boys</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Greenes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">The Greenes</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hoppers" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">The Hoppers</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kingsmen_Quartet" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">The Kingsmen</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_McKameys" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">The McKameys</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Statesmen_Quartet" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Statesmen</a>, Marty Raybon, Casting Crowns, The Sugar Creek Quartet, among others.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squire_Parsons#cite_note-6" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[6]</a>In April 2019, Parsons announced his retirement from touring, and all public appearances, due to declining health after "life-saving surgery."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squire_Parsons#cite_note-retirement-7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[7]</a>On May 5, 2025, Parsons died at the age of 77 years old.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squire_Parsons#cite_note-8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[8]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squire_Parsons#cite_note-9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[9]</a>AwardsParsons was nominated for a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dove_Award" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Dove Award</a> in 1999 for contributing to a tribute album to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dottie_Rambo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">Dottie Rambo</a>.He won the Singing News Fan Award for Favorite Male Singer in 1988. He won a Singing News Fan Award for Favorite Songwriter in 1986, 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1995. He won the Singing News Fan Award for Favorite Baritone in 1986 and 1987."Sweet Beulah Land" won the Singing News Fan Awards for Song of the Year in 1981.In 1999, Parsons was awarded an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, West Virginia Institute of Technology.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squire_Parsons#cite_note-Biography-10" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 204);">[10]</a> He made public appearances at churches across the country, both large and small. <img src="https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.v5M7okeBenOSj7qWCSpM0gHaEK?r=0&rs=1&pid=ImgDetMain&cb=idpwebpc2" alt=""Beulah Land" - Squire Parsons - YouTube"><img src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cp9266NJI2Q/hqdefault.jpg" alt="Beulah Land (Squire Parsons) - YouTube">