Thomas “Mosie” Lister, A Favorite Of Elvis

“I moved up from a Chevy to a Cadillac when Elvis Presley recorded my song, His Hand in Mine.” Those are the words from Gospel songwriter Thomas “Mosie” Lister.

Hundreds of his songs can be found in many church hymnals but his most famous is “His Hand in Mine”, thanks to Elvis, who died 47 years ago, on Aug. 16.

Mr. Lister graduated in 1940, with honors, from Chester High School, in Cochran, Ga. and served in the United States Navy during World War II.

After the military, Mr. Lister studied engineering but lost interest. He enrolled at Middle Georgia College majoring in music and English. He took several music programs including the late G.T. “Dad” Speer’s school of music and the Vaughn School of Music in Tennessee.

This writer met Mosie Lister in 2006 when the late Dickie Mathews, a piano hall of famer, called and said, “Earl, do you want to go to the Grand Ole Gospel Reunion being held at the Marriott Hotel in Knoxville?”

It was a gathering of Southern Gospel Music legends including Eva Mae LeFevre, Ben Spear, Les Beasley, Henry Slaughter and the legendary song writer Movie Lister. After meeting Lister, we became good friends and a few weeks later recorded an extensive radio interview about his career. During the conversation, Mr. Lister talked about his famous Gospel songs including Elvis’ recording of “His Hand in Mine.”

Mr. Lister said he was driving home one day from Atlanta and the lyrics to a new song began to flow in his mind. When the songwriter reached home he wrote down his thoughts and it wasn’t long until he had a song. Mr. Lister said he took the composition to his friend Hovie Lister and the Statesmen recorded it in 1953. About the same time, Bobby Strickland and the Crusaders also recorded “His Hand in Mind” with Chattanoogan Dickie Mathews playing the piano. Mr. Lister said, “Both versions were released about the same time and were played a lot on the radio.”

Mr. Lister said when Elvis and his family moved to Memphis from Mississippi, he’d go to Gospel concerts at the Ellis Auditorium. The Statesmen and Blackwood Brothers would be singing and bass singer J.D. Sumner would let Elvis in the stage door. Mr. Lister said Elvis told him later he enjoyed hearing the quartets sing, “His Hand in Mine.”

Mr. Lister said he first received a call from RCA Victor producer Steve Sholes that Elvis wanted to record “His Hand in Mine.” It would be the fifth studio album for Elvis, and the first of three Gospel LP’s that Presley would record. Elvis dedicated “His Hand in Mine” to the memory of his mother who had already passed.

Elvis called Lister and said “His Hand in Mine” was his favorite Gospel song and it would be the title of his first Gospel album. Lister said, “I was truly honored, especially when those royalty checks started to come in; I went from a Chevy to a Cadillac. I told Elvis this story and he responded he liked Cadillacs too.”

The song was certified gold and platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Mr. Lister recalled in 1960 the album reached number 13 on the Billboard Chart and nine years later RCA released it as a single. Elvis recorded “His Hand in Mine” with the Jordanaires in three takes at the famous RCA Studio B in Nashville. In addition to the Jordanaires, who backed up Elvis for 15 years, some of Nashville’s best musicians played on the recording. They included Floyd Cramer, Boots Randolph, Bob Moore and Hank Garland.

Mr. Lister said, “His Hand in Mine is still big today because of Elvis, but I told the singer I give God the glory, He’s been so good to me.”

Elvis also recorded “Where No One Stands Alone” and “He Knows Just What I Need,” both written by Mosie Lister.

The songwriter became good telephone friends with Elvis and in one of their last conversations Elvis told him he wanted to record an album of Mosie Lister songs. “Unfortunately, my friend died all too early and he never completed his dream,” Lister said.

Mr. Lister continued writing songs almost until the end of his life. He recalled a New York music executive asked him to write a song for Mahalia Jackson. Lister said, “I didn’t know much about her but tried to understand what her storms of life were about. I made up a character in my mind and penned, 'Till the Storm Passes By'. Ms. Jackson used the song in public performances but it became a big Gospel standard in 1958 when recorded by the Speer Family.”

Mr. Lister was the original baritone for the Statesmen Quartet but in 1950 he left the quartet to write full time, forming Mosie Lister Publishing Company; Jake Hess was his replacement. Mr. Lister said he wasn’t related to leader Hovie Lister but they were very good friends and the quartet sang a lot of his songs.

Mr. Lister said he never kept a running total of the number of pieces he’d written but a publisher told him it was over 1,000.

In addition to Elvis, Lister's songs were recorded by dozens of country and Gospel artists that included Jim Reeves, Eddy Arnold, Don Gibson, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, Porter Waggoner, the Statler Brothers, the Oak Ridge Boys, and George Beverly Shea. When Lister died, Gospel music’s Bill Gaither said, “Lister was a man I long admired, a man of integrity who wrote songs that are still relevant. Mosie was a gift to all of us and we have now lost a giant in the field of Gospel music.”

Mr. Lister was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1976 and into the Southern Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in 1997.

Cleveland, Tn. vocalist Mallory Ledford met Mosie Lister at a National Quartet Convention. The young Mallory said Mr. Lister’s songs are timeless and are among her favorites to sing.

Twenty years ago, Southern Gospel’s Dove Brothers recorded a tribute to Mosie Lister and in 2021 Bear Family music released the “Chuck Wagon Gang sings Mosie Lister,” a collection of SESAC selections from 1960.

In that radio interview with this writer, Mr. Lister said Jake Hess came by his house one day for a visit and told him, “If you write about things that are eternally true they will not be forgotten.” Mr. Lister said when Hess left he went to the piano and wrote, “Then I met the Master,” a favorite of many choir directors.

Mr. Lister said it took less than 15 minutes to write “How Long Has It Been” but nearly a year to pen “Where No One Stands Alone.” Mr. Lister said, “Each of my songs are different but the message is always about the Gospel.”

Mr. Lister said during the war years he dreamed of having a men’s choir. In 2006, a group of some of Southern Gospel’s greatest men recorded a collector’s edition of “Moses’ Men.” The project included classics, “His Hand in Mine,” “Till the Storm Passes By,” “Where No one Stands Alone” and “Jesus Hold My Hand.” Mr. Lister said the recording was a 70-year dream come true.

Asked about mentors, Mr. Lister said he really admired the work of fellow songwriter Albert E. Brumley who wrote hundreds of Gospel songs, including one of the most sung and recorded songs, “I’ll Fly Away,”

Mr. Lister said he never had many hobbies, “I was a lousy golfer and gave it up. I told the scorekeeper not to write down my numbers.”

As for his family, Mr. Lister’s first wife passed away and he re-married. Mr. Lister said he’s especially proud of his twin daughters whose families are involved in their churches in music programs.

Mr. Lister said, “I was named after my grandfather Moses; my mother just called me Mosie.”

Mr. Lister, also an ordained Baptist minister, said God really called him to write about his Savior. “If you write about the Lord Jesus Christ, you have to know something about him, that’s why I study the Bible; my favorite book is John.”

Elvis Presley was Mr. Lister’s friend for nearly 20 years and the world renowned songwriter said the popular singer never forgot their friendship.

“Elvis offered me a lot of writing encouragement; he told me songwriting was what God called me to do and I never forgot Elvis’ kindness. I stuck to writing. I’ve always wanted to be in the center of God’s Will so I write songs about the Master.”

Mr. Lister concluded our radio interview by saying he really appreciates Bill Gaither including so many of his songs in the Homecoming collections. Mr. Lister said, “Bill and Gloria have done so much to preserve the history of Southern Gospel music and I’m very proud to have been a small part of it.”

Mr. Lister died in 2015 at the age of 93 and is buried at the Williamson Memorial Gardens in Franklin, Tn. Mr. Lister definitely experienced “His Hand in Mine.”