BECAUSE HE LIVES — Jimmy Fortune’s Voice Turns a Hymn into a Lifeline
Some songs aren’t just hymns. They are lifelines — anchors that steady the soul when storms threaten to pull it under. “Because He Lives” is one of those eternal anchors. For more than fifty years, it has carried believers through seasons of fear and uncertainty, reminding them that tomorrow is never without hope. And when Jimmy Fortune sings it, the words don’t just echo from the past. They breathe fresh courage into the present.
From the very first line, Fortune delivers not only melody but testimony. His voice — clear, tender, and filled with conviction — does more than recite familiar lyrics. It tells a story. It is the sound of a man who has walked through shadows and found light waiting on the other side. Every phrase reminds listeners that life is worth living, that tomorrow holds no terror, because the grave could not hold the Savior.
What sets Jimmy Fortune’s performance apart is its intimacy. He doesn’t perform the hymn as if it belongs on a pedestal, far removed from ordinary life. He sings it like a prayer, a confession whispered from one heart to another. Yet within that intimacy is power. When he reaches for the soaring notes of the chorus — “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow” — it feels less like performance and more like a proclamation, declaring truth over every fear, every doubt, every valley.
The history of “Because He Lives” deepens its meaning. Written by Bill and Gloria Gaither in 1971 during a time of cultural upheaval and personal uncertainty, the hymn was born out of their own search for strength. They had just welcomed a new baby into the world and, looking at the chaos of the times, wondered what kind of life their child would face. Out of that season of questioning came the assurance that Christ’s resurrection was not just a doctrine, but a daily promise: because He lives, the future is secure.
Decades later, Jimmy Fortune’s voice carries the same heartbeat. His interpretation reminds listeners that faith is not theory. It is survival. It is the daily confession that Christ’s victory is our strength, that in the middle of doubt and fear, believers cling not to optimism but to resurrection truth.
What many notice when Fortune sings is the way his own journey colors the song. Having spent years as part of the Statler Brothers, Jimmy has lived through the highs of fame and the lows of personal loss. He has known the thrill of standing before sold-out crowds and the quiet ache of standing at gravesides. That history gives his delivery weight. When he sings of victory over death, he sings as a man who has faced the sting of it and found comfort in Christ’s promise.
For audiences, the effect is undeniable. Wherever “Because He Lives” is heard — whether in a church sanctuary, at a concert hall, or in the stillness of a living room — it never fails to stir something deep. Listeners close their eyes, lift their hands, or simply let the tears fall, as if the song itself is reaching into their fear and reminding them that they are not alone.
In Jimmy Fortune’s hands, “Because He Lives” is more than a hymn. It is a pledge and a promise. A pledge of personal faith from the singer who delivers it, and a promise to every listener that no matter the trial, no matter the grave, hope will always rise again.
That is why the song endures. That is why it still matters. Because in every generation, storms come. Doubt comes. Fear comes. And yet, the truth remains: because He lives, we can face tomorrow.