This brought about a change in him and he decided to depart from slaving. As Newton prayed to the Almighty, he witnessed the ship’s miraculous survival, which safely reached its destination. The journey back home saw the ship caught in a tempest, almost capsizing the vessel. The theatrical version follows this up with a rescue attempt by Newton’s father, which results in his grievous injuries and the death. There, an African princess, Peye, took him in as a slave and treated him no better than the others under her authority. Due to behavioral issues and indiscipline, he was deserted in West Africa by the ship’s crew. Born in 1725 to a father who was a captain of a ship, the future composer and Anglican clergyman joined the slave ship, Pegasus. Newton wrote Amazing Grace as a sort of autobiography, maintaining a beautiful amalgamation of realism and fiction.
This thought-provoking piece, with strong references to African Americans, was written by John Newton, who himself was a slave trader. Amazing Grace also gained further recognition during the American Civil War and the much later Vietnam War. There has also been a literary reference to the hymn in the 19 th century Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which deals with slavery issues prevalent at that time. Additionally, singers such as Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and Elvis Presley were among the many artists to record the song.
For example, in the early 1970s, singer Judy Collins’ rendition of Newton’s work sat among the best for 15 weeks on the US and UK pop charts. The presence of the unwavering religious connotations in Amazing Grace has elevated it to a legendary status in the United States, and there are about 10 million performances held every year.
It is popularly accepted as John Newton’s autobiography in the form of prose.ĭive deeper into "Amazing Grace": The Song of the Ages Newton’s creation has achieved and held the position of one of the most cherished hymns of the last 200 years. The print debut happened in 1779, and even with its origins in England, it has become an iconic American song. The lyrics were written in 1772, to be performed at a sermon for the New Year’s celebrations of 1773. The album was certified double platinum and earned Franklin a Grammy for ‘Best Soul Gospel Performance.’ It’s not only the biggest selling album of her career, but also the biggest selling live Gospel album of all time.Amazing Grace is a world-famous Christian hymn, written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton. It’s the most powerful version I’ve ever heard. With this, Franklin showed why she was the best. The crowning moment of the record is the title track an almost 11-minute song of the most beautiful singing on record. She converted songs like Carole King’s ‘You’ve Got A Friend’ and the Rodgers & Hammerstein song (and Liverpool Football Club anthem), ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ into gospel songs. On this album, Franklin mixes spiritual songs with the contemporary, although, if you didn’t know them in their original form, you’d think church choirs had been performing them for centuries. Franklin’s voice will convert even the staunchest heathen into a believer. ‘Amazing Grace’ was recorded live in January 1972 at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, with Reverend James Cleveland and the Southern California Community Choir performing alongside Aretha Franklin. I didn’t expect to be listening to an hour and a half of Gospel music, but here we are.
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