| "His Eye is on the Sparrow" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Song | |
| Published | 1905 |
| Songwriter(s) | Civilla D. Martin |
| Composer(s) | Charles H. Gabriel |
"His Eye Is on the Sparrow" is a gospel hymn written in 1905 by lyricist Civilla D. Martin and composer Charles H. Gabriel. It is most associated with actress-singer Ethel Waters who used the title for her autobiography.[1][2] Tanya Blount & Lauryn Hill recorded the song for the Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit soundtrack in 1993. Jessica Simpson's version was included as the final track on her 2001 album Irresistible. Mahalia Jackson's recording of the song was honored with the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 2010. Whitney Houston's recording of the song, one of the singer's last to be recorded before her death in 2012, was released off the soundtrack of the film, Sparkle, and became a posthumous number one Billboard single off one of the gospel singles charts.[3]
Sometimes it was sung with the slightly altered title "His Eye is on the Tiny Bird" and this version was recorded by actress Violet Carson in 1972.[4]
- ^ Waters, Ethel, with Charles Samuels, His Eye Is On The Sparrow: An Autobiography, New York, 1951, reprinted by Da Capo Press, 1992
- ^ "His Eye Is on the Sparrow - Ethel Waters (Author)". Amazon. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
WhitneyBillboardwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "His Eye Is On The Tiny Bird". Discogs. Retrieved 2019-10-03.