I Have a Song I Love to Sing

Full Name: Edwin Othello Excell
Birth/Death: 1851–1921

Edwin Othello Excell was a prominent American composer, publisher, and leader in gospel music, born in 1851 at Uniontown, Ohio. Coming from modest beginnings, Excell initially worked as a bricklayer and plasterer, but his passion for music soon guided the course of his life. Determined to develop his talent, he moved to Chicago to study music under the renowned George Root. In 1871, he married Eliza Jane “Jennie” Bell, and they had one son, William, in 1874. His deep involvement in the Methodist Episcopal Church shaped much of his musical career and devotion to congregational life.

Excell became widely known as a song leader, singer, and composer of hymns and gospel songs, focusing especially on music for churches, Sunday schools, and evangelistic meetings. Over the course of his life, he authored or composed more than 2,000 gospel songs, many of which became staples in American church music. He was particularly noted for his ability to craft music that was both spiritually rich and easily sung by congregations, which helped make gospel music accessible to communities across the United States.

Beyond composition, Excell was a dedicated teacher of music, establishing singing schools in numerous cities to train leaders, teachers, and church musicians. His collaboration with evangelist Sam Jones spanned two decades, during which Excell served as Jones’s primary song leader, greatly enhancing the impact of revival meetings through music. Recognizing the importance of publishing, Excell founded a music publishing house in Chicago, through which he produced 15 gospel music books between 1882 and 1925, promoting the spread of gospel music nationwide.

Excell’s influence extended beyond his compositions. His work as a publisher ensured that the music he and others wrote reached a wide audience, shaping the repertoire of Sunday schools and churches for generations. His attention to musical quality, ease of performance, and doctrinally sound lyrics set a standard for gospel music in his era. He remained active in evangelistic campaigns until late in life, including working with Gypsy Smith in Louisville, Kentucky, where he fell ill. Edwin Othello Excell passed away in Chicago, Illinois, in 1921, leaving an estate valued at $300,000—a testament to the success of his lifelong work in gospel music.

Excell’s legacy endures through his compositions, publications, and the countless singers and congregations who continue to benefit from his music. His dedication to combining musical excellence with spiritual edification firmly established him as one of the most influential figures in American gospel music during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.