When Elvis Presley recorded "Crying in the Chapel" in the 1960s, few realized that the chapel was a small Baptist church on Fort Worth's north side.
"My Dad, Artie Glenn, wrote the song after he prayed and repented at the Loving Avenue Baptist Church," said Larry Glenn of Fort Worth, a former country music disc jockey and youngest son of the songwriter.Although the song was written 45 years ago, it is still reaping royalties for Larry Glenn and for Artie Glenn's widow, Foy Glenn, who now lives in Cedar Hill.
Most recently a version of the song recorded by Sonny Till and the Orioles was heard in the movie "Just Cause." When Sean Connery walks into a house and finds some mutilated bodies, "Crying in the Chapel" is playing on a radio.
The inspiration for the soulful song came when Artie Glenn was recovering from spinal surgery. From his bed in Harris Hospital, he vowed to become closer to God.
Later, he kept his promise and went to the church nearest his home - a modest building marked by a cross at 2808 Loving Ave. Church members say it was built in 1936 using lumber from an abandoned mule barn on Exchange Avenue.
"Artie told me he walked to the front of the church with tears rolling down his cheeks," Foy Glenn said. Soon the inspiring words came to him:
"You saw me crying in the chapel.
The tears I shed were tears of joy.
I know the meaning of contentment.
Now I'm happy with the Lord."
The Rev. Bill Anders, pastor of the Loving Avenue church for 17 years, said the church's founding pastor, the late Rev. Leslie Bell, told him the story of how the song came to be written.
"He told me that Artie Glenn was sitting right there praying and crying," said Anders, pointing to a front church pew.
Anders, 61, knows about repentance.
"I was a wino walking the streets of downtown Fort Worth 30 years ago," he said. "I stayed in Union Gospel Mission for a while. I was miraculously saved at the East Side Baptist Church."
Anders, who plays guitar and sings, said his church members are proud that their church inspired the song.
"We've tried to sing it and play it as a part of our worship," the pastor said. "We try to be a country church in the middle of the city."
The song first was recorded in 1953 by the songwriter's older son, Darrell Glenn, when he was 17. It became a national hit and Darrell Glenn toured with Bob Hope throughout the United States.
Although he was just a child, Larry Glenn, 51, still remembers the excitement of that time.
He still has a 1950s photo of an autograph-signing party for Darrell at the old Conn Music Co. in Fort Worth. At the edge of the crowd is Larry, about 7 years old, dressed in a new cowboy hat.
"It was really something for your big brother to be a big star and have a national hit recording," he said.
Darrell Glenn, who died in 1990, got his start when he was a student at old Technical High School. He won a talent contest in Waco whose prize was an opportunity to record with Bob Wills, the legendary western swing musician.
Artie Glenn, who died four years ago, played guitar and bass fiddle in many bands, including a stint with the Light Crust Doughboys. He wrote many other songs, some of which were recorded by Bob Wills and others. And he wrote a gospel album for TV evangelist Kenneth Copeland.
Elvis Presley first recorded Glenn's song on an album in 1960. But it wasn't released as a single by Presley until 1965, Larry Glenn said. Presley's recording sold 1 million copies in eight weeks and became the No. 1 seller in Britain.
More than 20 singers, ranging from Ella Fitzgerald to Rex Allen Sr. to Eddy Arnold, recorded "Crying in the Chapel."
Artie Glenn always worried that he never had another smash hit, his widow said. But she reminded him that few songwriters ever have a hit as big as "Chapel."
"I told him that God gave him that song," she said.