This week, we pick up our series of "Songs Without Boundaries." Randy Franks shares what he learned when he asked performers from several musical genres about Gospel songs that find their way into the performances and recordings that are typically "non-Gospel." This week, he looks at one of the all-time great classics.

A young man working in a cotton field, Albert E. Brumley, wrote one of the most well-recorded songs of faith, "I'll Fly Away."

Today, Brumley's son Bob coordinates the Brumley & Sons publishing company. He says artists have recorded the song at least 500-600 times in the last 70 years.

"Dad's philosophy about songs was to have songs that people would remember, that would not be complicated," he says. "Keep it pretty simple. Most of his songs were not complicated hard-to-sing songs."

Brumley also says he thinks it is phenomenal that the song has continued its appeal through the years. "It's a catchy little tune," he says. "It is easy for everybody to get involved in when they do it."

Brumley says one reason a song has staying power is a message through the words that will reach the listener. "Just like in 'How Great Thou Art,' it's such a powerful song. It says a whole lot in such few words. It's got a powerful tune. I think if it had a tune that was not to the standard of the words it would have never done that well.

"I think that is true of any classic song in any genre of music. If the message is there, and the music is there, then people can get their arms wrapped around it, that's what makes it become a classic."

The late artist and songwriter Dottie Rambo wrote over 2,500 songs with "We Shall Behold Him" and "I Go to the Rock" among those recorded by artists in multiple genres. Before her death, she shared her thoughts on several songs in an interview.

"I think that the biggest compliment a songwriter can ever get is to have their song cross genres," she said. "A song like 'I'll Fly Away' speaks to an audience in a simple way. You understand it, the melody is simple and singable and the message is clear. I was singing with Loretta Lynn in concert and we actually sang 'I"ll Fly Away' because it is one of those songs that everyone knows so we could do it without rehearsing."

After spending a lifetime on the road following in the footsteps of his late father Dale and leading a son ("Scoot") down the same musical journey with the Dixie Echoes, Randy Shelnut believes that the songs reach across musical genres because of the touch of the Master.

"There is no real logical explanation," he says. "It goes against my logical way of thinking. There is only one way: These songs were anointed. God inspired those songs.

"I was sitting in subway and they were playing rap on the intercom," he continues. "Intertwined in the rap song was 'I'll Fly Away.' It's truly spanned every genre. It's amazing. Albert was just an ole country guy that the Lord touched with his songs."

Shelnut said that he and the Dixie Echoes have seen the power of certain songs on churched and unchurched audiences.

"For example, there are many folks that are lost and are not Christians when we sing at fair grounds," he says. "You can sing 'Peace in the Valley' and they will be shedding tears all over the audience."

Shelnut adds that the group was once performing at a large cosmetic convention with a big-name country act and the song "Amazing Grace" pulled many from their convention revelry.

"Half the audience had a buzz on and they couldn't stand it," he recalls. "There was a tugging making them know there was more to life than what they were thinking was fun."