Pat Boone Says Goodbye with Final Gospel Album "Legacy"

By Timothy Yap Oct 20, 2014 02:04 AM EDT

After 50 years in the music industry, Pat Boone is saying goodbye with one final album, "Legacy." The album is a Gospel album that features 17 songs, all written by Pat Boone himself. Dear to his heart, Boone wants to leave behind a "legacy" of the kind of relationship he has with the Lord. Thus, on the new record, which is already released, you will hear Boone's pouring out his heart with love for Jesus on songs such as "Thank You Holy Lord," "God is Good" and the lead single "Breathe," a prayer to the Lord to receive the breath of God.

In an interview with Breathecast, Boone says, "I call the album Legacy because it may be my last and I'm leaving it to my brothers and sisters in the hope that it'll be useful and inspiring and motivating people to the kind of relationship we've had with the Lord all our lives."

Boone penned every song on the record except for one in which his wife of 60 years says his brother wrote. CBN reported that the song on his Legacy album called "Breathe," is a prayer from the singer to receive the breath of God.

Boone was a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He sold over 45 million albums, had 38 Top 40 hits and appeared in more than 12 Hollywood movies. According to Billboard, Boone was the second biggest charting artist of the late 1950s, behind only Elvis Presley but ahead of Ricky Nelson and The Platters, and was ranked at No. 9-behind The Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney but ahead of artists such as Aretha Franklin and The Beach Boys-in its listing of the Top 100 Top 40 Artists 1955-1995. Boone still holds the Billboard record for spending 220 consecutive weeks on the charts with one or more songs each week.

At the age of twenty-three, he began hosting a half-hour ABC variety television series, The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom, which aired for 115 episodes (1957-1960). Many musical performers, including Edie Adams, Andy Williams, Pearl Bailey and Johnny Mathis made appearances on the show. His cover versions of rhythm and blues hits had a noticeable effect on the development of the broad popularity of rock and roll. In 1955 Elvis Presley was the opening act for a show in Cleveland starring Pat Boone.

As an author, Boone had a No. 1 bestseller in the 1950s (Twixt Twelve and Twenty, Prentice-Hall). In the 1960s, he focused on gospel music and is a member of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. He continues to perform, and speak as a motivational speaker, a television personality, and a conservative political commentator.

Here's the track listing for Legacy:

1. Breathe

2. Child of the King

3. Do This in Remembrance of Me

4. God Is Good

05. Thank You Holy Lord

06. Rule and Reign

07. Jesus Is Lord

08. John 3: 16

09. Exceedingly Abundantly

10. The Only Man-Made Things in Heaven

11. One