Deeply in love, Philip Bliss and Lucy Young were married on June 1, 1859. Philip was twenty years old and exhibited a remarkable talent for music. They were devoted to Christ and together they often thrilled local church members with their duets. Lucy schemed for ways to afford Philip proper musical training. It was with her encouragement that he began to ride horseback from town to town carrying his twenty-dollar melodeon to hold singing schools.
With some additional training, he became a music teacher. After moving to Chicago, he continued to hold music conventions, singing schools, and church meetings. Not surprisingly he caught the attention of evangelist, D. L. Moody and later became the song leader for Moody’s associate, Major Daniel Whittle. Together they held successful crusades in Illinois, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia.
At the age of 36, Philip was known as one of the greatest hymnists of his generation. While conducting a service for inmates at the Michigan State Prison he sang one of the last hymn’s he wrote…our hymn today…HALLELUJAH, WHAT A SAVIOUR. Many of the prisoners wept openly and turned to Jesus Christ.