[Missouri-l] More on Alexander Scourby

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Alexander Scourby was the first person to make a complete recording of the  
Bible._[1]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Scourby#cite_note-0)   
He originally narrated the _King James Version_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_James_Version)   for The American Foundation For The Blind over four 
years, finishing in 1944.  Their original goal was to produce a clean, clear 
recording for visually  impaired listeners. The American Bible Society 
distributed it as The Talking  Bible, a set of 169 records with a running time 
of 84.5 hours._[2]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wik
i/Alexander_Scourby#cite_note-1)   This recording was eventually released to the general public in 1966 
and became  a best-seller._[3]_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Scourby#cite_note-2)   It is now part of the Library of Congress' National 
Recording Registry._[4]_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Scourby#cite_note-3) 
Scourby rerecorded the Old Testament in 1972 and the New  Testament in 1974 
for the Episcopal Radio and TV Foundation. The actor agreed  for a reduced 
fee of $15,000 if the proceeds from sales would be used only for  non-profit 
purposes; the recordings were to be distributed primarily to the  blind and 
physically handicapped. When tapes appeared on the general market as  the 
"Authorized Alexander Scourby's Latest Narration," he sued. A 1990 court  
ruling_[5]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Scourby#cite_note-4)   
posthumously awarded the rights to the 1970s recordings to Scourby. The verdict  
forced the Foundation, which was not officially part of the Episcopal 
Church,  into bankruptcy. Eventually these recordings were acquired by Word, 
Inc., then _Thomas Nelson_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Nelson_(publisher))  Publishers._[6]_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Scourby#cite_note-5)  
Copyright to at least one of Scourby's Bible recordings is now  held by a 
small Ft. Lauderdale company called Litchfield Associates._[7]_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Scourby#cite_note-6)   Hendrickson Publishers 
issued a licensed, DRM-free set of MP3 files containing  the entire KJV in 
2003._[8]_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Scourby#cite_note-7)   It 
lists Littlefield as the rightsholder with 1991 as copyright date. 
Scourby and Religion
Although Scourby made voice recordings of over 500 different  books, he 
considered the Bible to be his most important. He describes why in the  
following letter.     "...it is the one book that has the power to  inspire, 
encourage, comfort and change the life of the person who hears  it. I know this 
because during the many years since I narrated the Bible,  numerous people 
have written thanking me for creating such a beautiful  reading. I have been 
greatly humbled and moved by the many letters I have  received from people 
around the world telling me how God used the Bible  narrations to change their 
lives and the lives of their loved ones,  encourage them in their hour of 
need, and even healed them as they  listened to the Words of Life. „   
While the audience for his Bible recordings tend to be  conservative 
Protestants, Scourby himself had no religious affiliation. However,  he was 
baptized in the Greek Orthodox Church and married in an Episcopal  church._[9]_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Scourby#cite_note-8) 
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