Otis Leon McCoy (February 17, 1897 – March 27, 1995) was an American singer-songwriter and music teacher. He was the president of Tennessee Music and Printing, the publishing company of the Church of God, and he wrote hundreds of Southern gospel hymns.

Early life

McCoy was born on February 17, 1897. His grandfather was

Thomas Jackson Denson Thomas Jackson Denson (January 20, 1863 – September 14, 1935) was a notable Alabama musician and singing school teacher within the Sacred Harp tradition. He was the youngest of the four sons of the Levi Phillip Denson, a farmer, a gold miner in ...

and his great-uncle was

Seaborn McDaniel Denson Seaborn McDaniel Denson (1854 – April 18, 1936) was a notable Alabama musician and singing school teacher within the Sacred Harp tradition. He was a son of The Rev. Levi Phillips Denson, a Methodist minister, and Julia Ann Jones Denson. Seaborn D ...

. McCoy learned to play the

Sacred Harp Sacred Harp singing is a tradition of sacred choral music that originated in New England and was later perpetuated and carried on in the American South. The name is derived from ''The Sacred Harp'', a ubiquitous and historically important tune ...

from his grandfather, and he was educated at the

James D. Vaughan James David Vaughan (December 14, 1864 – February 9, 1941) was an American music teacher, composer, song book publisher, the founder of the Vaughan Conservatory of Music and the James D. Vaughan Publishing Company. Biography Vaughan was b ...

School of Music in

Lawrenceburg, Tennessee The city of Lawrenceburg is the county seat of Lawrence County, Tennessee, United States, The largest city on the state's southern border between Chattanooga and Memphis, it lies on the banks of Shoal Creek. The population was 11,633 at the 20 ...

Career

McCoy was a singer-songwriter of Southern gospel. From 1923 to the 1930s, McCoy was a member of the Vaughan Radio Quartet, a band whose members included Adger M. Pace,

William Burton Walbert William Burton Walbert (May 18, 1886 – December 2, 1959) was an American Southern gospel songwriter, singer, composer, and editor. He (co-)wrote many songs, and he was the director of the Vaughan School of Music in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. E ...

and Hilman Barnard. In 1942, McCoy joined the Homeland Harmony Quartet, whose members included James McCoy, B. C. Robinson, and Connor Brandon Hall. Over the course of his career, McCoy wrote hundreds of Southern gospel hymns, including ''Keep On The Firing Line'' and ''Heaven Bound Train''. McCoy worked for the James D. Vaughan Publishing Company in Lawrenceburg. In 1931, he became the founding president of Tennessee Music and Printing, the publishing company of the Church of God in Cleveland, Tennessee. He served again as its president from 1934 to 1945, 1947 to 1952, and 1958 to 1961.

Death and legacy

McCoy died in 1995. He was inducted into the

Southern Gospel Museum and Hall of Fame The Southern Gospel Music Association (''SGMA'') is a non-profit corporation formed as an association of southern gospel music singers, songwriters, fans, and industry workers. Membership is acquired and maintained through payment of annual dues. ...

in 2003.

References

External links

Otis Leon McCoy
on Find a Grave {{DEFAULTSORT:McCoy, Otis Leon 1897 births 1995 deaths American male singer-songwriters American Christian hymnwriters Singer-songwriters from Tennessee Southern gospel performers American music educators American male non-fiction writers 20th-century American singers 20th-century American male singers