F.J. Berry
Musician
Best known for
Songwriter
F.J. Berry was the lyricist on the Southern-gospel standard “What Would You Give in Exchange for Your Soul?,” written with composer James H. Carr and first copyrighted in 1912. The Monroe Brothers’ 1936 Bluebird recording of the song became Bill Monroe’s commercial breakthrough and a foundational document of the bluegrass-gospel repertoire.
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- Wrote the lyric to “What Would You Give in Exchange for Your Soul?,” set to James H. Carr’s tune.
- The song was copyrighted in 1912; Stamps-Baxter Music took over the rights at its 1940 renewal.
- The Monroe Brothers introduced the song on record in 1936; the recording was Bill Monroe’s first major hit and helped place him on the Grand Ole Opry in 1939.
- The song has since been recorded by Johnny Cash, Mac Wiseman, Bill Monroe with Doc Watson, and many other country and bluegrass acts.
