John W. Peterson

John Willard Peterson (November 1, 1921 – September 20, 2006) was a songwriter who had a major influence on evangelical Christian music in the 1950s through the 1970s. He wrote over 1000 songs, and 35 cantatas.

Early life and education Born in Lindsborg, Kansas, the son of Peter and Mary Peterson, he served as an Army Air Force pilot flying the China Hump during World War II. Later, Peterson attended Moody Bible Institute and worked on the radio staff there at WMBI-FM for a number of years. In 1953, he graduated from the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago and shortly thereafter settled in Pennsylvania to continue his songwriting career.

Career and ministry Peterson later moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where for over ten years he was President and Editor-in-Chief of Singspiration, a sacred music publishing company (now part of Universal Music Group, except for the choral music publishing division, which following Universal's 2023 spinoff of printed choral music is now owned by Cooperative Baptist Fellowship affiliated Mercer University's Townsend School of Music and McAfee School of Theology). While there, he compiled and edited the hymnal, Great Hymns of the Faith (1961), which included 47 of his compositions out of a total of 548. He also served on the boards of Gospel Films, Inc. of Muskegon, Michigan and Grand Rapids School of Bible and Music.

Personal life and death In 1944 Peterson married Marie Addis, and together they had three children. He died in Scottsdale, Arizona on September 20, 2006, aged 84, following a bout with prostate cancer.

Publications