I'll Fly Away Written by Albert E. Brumley, 1929 Performed by Brenda Parker (Character Interpreter & African American Special Programs Coordinator) This hymn was written by Albert E. Brumley (1905–1977), who began his life as a sharecropper picking cotton in Oklahoma. Though Brumley was white, his song quickly found a home in the African American gospel tradition. This hymn presents the themes of heaven, eternal life, and freedom from trials. It is frequently heard at funerals. African American