The man behind the booming baritone voice who sang to millions of Christians at evangelist Billy Graham’s crusades has died after a brief illness.

George Beverly Shea was 104.

A spokesman for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association  says Shea died last night after a brief illness.

Shea was well-known as a gospel soloist before he and Graham met in the early 1940s.

He joined Graham’s crusade team in 1947   and stayed until Graham’s declining health ended most of the evangelist’s public appearances nearly 60 years later.

Besides his distinctive voice, Shea was known for his trademark rendition of  How Great Thou Art and his inspirational  The Wonder of It All.