Growing up as Roger Oldham’s granddaughter was one of the greatest privileges of my life. My earliest piano memories are of sitting next to my Granddaddy as he taught me the left-hand part of “Chopsticks,” and then, of course, the classic “Knuckle Song” and its accompaniment.
That quickly grew into him teaching me the exact way to add the doubled bass for hymns and precisely where to add fillers and special embellishments. I wanted to play just like him. I remember him regularly writing new songs, like “Call Unto Me” and “Beyond This Vale of Tears,” and leaving them on our piano for me to be one of the first to play.
As he grew older, his voice faded, and his fingers grew stiff. He was no longer able to sing and play, but his ear and his understanding of music never quit. I have memories of him telling me I was in the wrong key, playing a run that wasn’t quite perfect or reminding me to add the “horn fifths on this particular ending”. I would quickly realize that while his body was fading, he was still the master.
Today, I am excited to share some of these lost treasures with you. Thanks to a collaboration and countless hours of work by Doug Beam, who took old cassette tapes and turned them into digital files, I can now get these songs into a format you can listen to. Just open your favorite music app and go back in time to 1974 when Roger Oldham was recording these songs to share with his mother, Lessie Oldham.
On September 29th, the second album will be released, featuring Granddaddy sharing some of his favorite original songs of praise with the Camp Joy audience in Brownsville, Kentucky.
What is your favorite Roger Oldham song? I hope you’ll find it here, and my prayer is that you will be reminded of a time in your life when God got a hold of you and reminded you that everything is “Because of Calvary.“
Songs in the Night
As a part of Ritchie Hale’s childhood she witnessed the birth of nearly 300 gospel hymns and choruses. Late into the night hours her dad sat at the baby grand with manuscript paper, pen, and pencil. She listened as he worked out the particular sequence of notes—dissonance, harmony, rhythm changes, chords, arpeggios, and finally the finishing touches of the words.
She recalls the feeling of security that all was right in the world when her dad was busy making music. The words and melodies have stayed with her through the years, and in this book, she shares many of those songs and her own life stories of how they continue to encourage and challenge her life for the good.
For those interested in securing the sheet music for any of Roger Oldham’s songs, please reach out here and we will help you find approved copies.