Merrill Womach

American gospel singer and performer who sang the praises of the Lord with a strong four-octave voice in over 125 concerts in all parts of the country. He had a recording business and over 14 albums that sold in Christian bookstores. A salesman’s son, Womach graduated from Northwest Ministerial College near Seattle before becoming assistant pastor and director of music and Christian education at the Fourth Presbyterian Church in Spokane. In 1958, he started his own business, National Music Service, by recording spiritual songs and building two music systems that he leased to funeral parlors. The business expanded beyond his hometown, and he piloted his own Piper Cub plane to other locations for concert dates. On Thanksgiving Day, 1961, his plane crashed. He miraculously survived, but was horribly burned and disfigured. His recovery included 52 operations over 19 years, and was a test of faith, documented by his wife in her book, Tested by Fire. With the support of his family, he rebuilt his life and livelihood. His recording business continued to thrive and the company’s music library has more than 2,000 tapes, most of them sung by him. He and his wife, Virginia, divorced after a long-time marriage. They have three children. He died in his sleep on 28 December 2014. Link to Wikipedia biography