Ain't No Grave: The Life and Legacy of Brother Claude Ely

by Macel Ely II

Once described as the King Recording Label's "Gospel Ranger," Brother Claude Ely (1922-1978) was known and loved throughout the Appalachian mountains as both a religious singer-songwriter and a Pentecostal-Holiness preacher.

Few people, however, knew the details of his childhood, military service and years of hard toil in the coal fields of southwestern Virginia. What Ely was known for was his brilliance as a preacher and his songwriting gifts. Through the enormous popularity of songs like "There Ain't No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down," Brother Claude Ely bequeathed a musical and spiritual influence that continues to resonate throughout the Appalachians and in gospel music today.

Authored by Ely's great-nephew Macel Ely, "Ain't No Grave: The Life and Legacy of Brother Claude Ely" is an oral biography composed from recorded interviews with more than 1,000 people in the Appalachian Mountains who knew Brother Claude Ely. An accompanying CD collects two recordings of "There Ain't No Grave" alongside other songs and sermons.

With CD (Audio

Genres: Music, History, Biography, Nonfiction, Photography, Memoir

345 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2010

Reviews

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book at www.aintnograve.com

It was a great book, and I would highly recommend it.

[Kelly Burchett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really touching, and it's amazing the life lessons that I was challenged with in reading it. It's very inspirational, and I loved the author's style of utilizing hundreds of interviews to make one,sweet story. The author made me often feel like I was actually there at these events. Sometimes I would catch myself getting a Kleenex, and other times I found myself chuckling out loud while reading.

The photos were great. The music was precious. It made me long for a simpler time. The book also challenged me individually to begin recognizing the actions I take today with others. It also stirred a renewal in my faith to be better, to be kinder, and to be more holy.

I love mountain stories. This was hillbilly history at its finest! I highly recommend it. I cherished this book and plan on buying a couple more copies for my family members to read, as well.

[Ken Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. It had lots of really cool music history, Appalachian stories, and 290 vintage mountain photos. The coolest feature of the book was that it came with a CD containing old Appalachian church music and an old-church style sermon being preached on it. I enjoy reading nonfiction, but it takes a whole lot to impress me. This book was wonderful! Very few books keep my attention for long spans of time, but this one certainly did just that. I found myself not wanting to stop reading from cover to cover. My only disappointment with the book was that once I finished reading the book, it left me wanting to read more. GREAT BOOK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Hayden Dwyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay. This is a tough review for me. My mother was raised in his Newport congregation, my grandfather served on the church’s board, and my grandmother talked about Brother Ely more reverently than Billy Graham. And the woman LOVED Billy Graham. And the person, work, and ministry of Brother Ely is a gem that needs to be studied, evaluated, and kept to have a full picture of the religious life in Appalachia in the 20th century, as well as how gospel music has influenced pop music in the 20th century and beyond.

Here is where I find frustration. Having a quote seemingly every other sentence can make prolonged reading a chore. I personally found that structure difficult to engage with. But the most egregious error is the wholesale acceptance of events by certain individuals that have a vested interest in rewriting the truth of what all happened surrounding the daily happenings at the Newport church leading up to Brother Ely’s death. At the very least, the author should have asked Sister Claudette her account, or other board members during that same period, for a more authentic and accurate portrayal of life at the church. This is an error made by many a historian, but it still deserves pointed out.

In short, I give Brother Ely and his legacy a 10/5 star rating, but cannot do better than a 2 star on this account of his life.

[Skipr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Takes you into the world of Pentecostal Holiness Christianity in Appalachia and the surrounding South and Midwest in early and middle 20th century through the life of bigger-than-life preacher, singer, and songwriter Claude Ely. This is a world I thought I had some knowledge of, but this book gave me a much better understanding of this American Christian subculture, a subculture that has punched above its weight in its influence on American music and is a quintessentially American manifestation of Christianity. The author, a grandnephew of Ely, does an admirable job, but could have benefited from an editor with a heavier hand. By moving some of the more laundry-list type chronologies and personal recollections to an appendix, the flow of the narrative would have been smoother and more engaging. Still, a good story about an amazing man. And, I really enjoyed the photographs.

[Derek Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ain't No Grave: The Life & Legacy of Brother Claude Ely is a fun-read. I enjoyed reading it a lot. When I first picked up the book to read it, I was hoping it would keep my attention and perhaps entertain my current state of boredom. Instead, I was delighted to find it not only entertained me but it also captivated me. My wife bought the book at www.aintnograve.com because she likes American roots music and its history. This book certainly fits into that category, but it also was very raw and dealt with issues often neglected in mountain history including the deeply held faith of Southerners. I personally liked how each chapter was different, but unbenownst to me, always related to the ultimate conclusion. I'll try not to spoil it for you. But yes, it's a superb book. And I plan on reading it again! I'm glad my wife ordered it.

[Brackman1066 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an interesting biography of an important figure in Appalachian--and American--culture of the mid 20th-century. Some of the pictures of minor people mentioned or interviewed in only one paragraph seemed a trifle unnecessary, but that's a judgment call. I was disappointed in the chapter discussing Ely's influence on early rock-n-roll and country artists--the editing suddenly got much worse, with paragraphs that repeated information clumsily, misplaced commas, missing words, etc. It almost felt like his agent told him "Quick! Write about his influence on Elvis and Johnny Cash!" and he dashed it off without having as much time to polish it. Still, the book is solid overall and I'm excited that the author is coming to give a talk at my town library later this month!

[Bobby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look at this particular legend in music and religion. Not the most concise or well-written book (as the author concedes that he's not a writer by trade), it surprised me as more of a transcribed oral history project than a traditional biography. I found myself skimming after awhile, but I'm still glad to have context and backstory for this artist I've come to appreciate.

[Sarah]

Discovered this book and Bro Claude Ely on NPR -- of course. I really want to listen to the accompanying cd. May 5 2011.