Recorded interviews of over 1,000 people in the Appalachian Mountains lay the foundation for this 360 page biography detailing the life of Brother Claude Ely, the sacred singer-songwriter and Pentecostal-Holiness preacher from southwestern Virginia, perhaps best-known for his song, “There Ain’t No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down”. While visiting a London record shop in 2001, Dr. Macel Ely II heard a familiar voice playing over the speakers. He learned that it was indeed the powerful singing of his great-uncle and was amazed at the magnitude of the impact his music still maintained on people worldwide. He then embarked on what would become a 9-year journey to discover the true story of Brother Claude Ely as well as to investigate his legacy. Brother Claude Ely passed along a musical and spiritual influence which can still be heard today like a mountain echo in those long, winding hollows and impoverished coal fields. Authored by Brother Claude Ely’s nephew, Macel Ely II, the biography is supplemented by 290 vintage photographs along with a music and preaching CD featuring rare and electrifying audio recordings of Pentecostal worship services in the mountains of Kentucky and Virginia accompanied by a fiery sermon preached by Brother Claude Ely himself.360 page hardcover book with dust jacket in shrinkwrap - CD stored in back of book.

Author: Dr. Macel Ely II

Dr. Macel Ely II is the great nephew to Brother Claude Ely. An ordained minister himself, Macel’s professional experience is quite diverse. He presently serves as Training Specialist for the State of Tennessee’s Institute for Public Service. Ely’s job consists of facilitating training for Tennessee’s governmental managers and executive leadership. Prior to coming to his current position, Macel served as Homeland Security Coordinator for the Center for Homeland Security Training. His duties included assisting in the development of a state-wide training for law enforcement and other city officials. Macel is a licensed private investigator and a member of the Tennessee Private Investigation Association. He serves as an adjunct professor and serves as a board of director for Barnabas Ministries International and the East Tennessee chapter of the American Society for Public Administrators. Macel has earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Lee University and Kentucky Wesleyan College along with a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and a Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies from the University of Tennessee. Before coming to work for the Institute for Public Service, Macel also worked as a school administrator in Kentucky and a news reporter on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. He and his wife, Jamie, reside in Maryville, Tennessee.