Marion Easterling

American southern gospel music composer and radio host. Born in Chilton County, Alabama March 12, 1910. Died in Birmingham, Alabama December 10, 1989 (79 years of age). He wrote around 300 gospel songs, including "Standing By The River", "Rainbow Of Love", "When He Reached Down His Hand For Me", "Lord, Lead Me On", "Angels Rock Me To Sleep", "The Angels of Love", and "When I Wake Up To Sleep No More". He hosted a morning gospel show "America's Favorites" on WKLF radio station in Clanton, Alabama. He was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the host of the longest running gospel program ever. His first broadcast was on December 2, 1947 and the show continued for 39 years, during which time, he broadcast over 20,000 shows. He attended various music schools, including the Vaughan School of Music and studied with a number of private gospel music teachers including Adger M. Pace, Ocie Lee DeVaughan, W.B. Walbert, and G.T. Speer. He also took correspondence courses from New York and Chicago to increase his musical knowledge. For a number of years he taught singing schools and did evangelistic work. He was the youngest composer to sign a five year contract with the Stamps-Baxter Music Company.