James H. Carr
Musician · 1898–1976 · Arkansas
Best known for
Songwriter
James H. Carr was an Arkansas-born gospel-music teacher and tune writer who, with lyricist F. J. Berry, wrote “What Would You Give in Exchange for Your Soul?” The song was copyrighted in 1912 and became one of the most-recorded Southern-gospel standards after the Monroe Brothers introduced it on record in 1936.
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- Born 1898 in Arkansas.
- Worked as a traveling singing-school teacher for the Texas-based Trio Publishing Company.
- Wrote the tune to “What Would You Give in Exchange for Your Soul?,” set to a lyric by F. J. Berry; the song was copyrighted in 1912.
- Stamps-Baxter Music acquired the rights at the 1940 copyright renewal and made it a fixture of its songbook catalog.
- The Monroe Brothers introduced “What Would You Give in Exchange” on Bluebird in 1936; the song became Bill Monroe’s breakthrough recording and helped place him on the Grand Ole Opry.
- The song has since been recorded by Johnny Cash, Bill Monroe with Doc Watson, Mac Wiseman, and many others.
- Died in 1976.
