Billy Graham, whose 'matchless voice changed the lives of millions,' dies at 99

 
CNN)Evangelist Billy Graham -- a confidant to presidents, a guiding light to generations of American evangelicals and a globe-trotting preacher who converted millions to Christianity -- died Wednesday at the age of 99, his spokesman confirmed to CNN.

Graham passed away at his home in Montreat, North Carolina, spokesman Jeremy Blume said.

The skinny preacher with the booming voice evangelized to nearly 215 million people over six decades and prayed with US presidents from Harry Truman to Barack Obama.

Several presidents, including Lyndon Johnson, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, relied closely on his spiritual counsel.

Photos: Billy Graham: 'America's pastor'

Graham is flanked by US President Richard Nixon, left, and Vice President Spiro Agnew as they bow their heads in prayer in 1969. Graham was speaking at Nixon's inauguration.

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Photos: Billy Graham: 'America's pastor'

Graham rides a donkey in Jerusalem while visiting the city in 1969.

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Photos: Billy Graham: 'America's pastor'

Graham speaks to a crowd of 18,000 on the closing night of the Southern Baptist Convention in 1974.

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Photos: Billy Graham: 'America's pastor'

Graham speaks at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1978. Inclement weather had forced the crusade to the nearby Mid-South Coliseum, but when the clouds lifted, Graham went to the stadium to speak to those who could not get into the smaller indoor arena.

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Photos: Billy Graham: 'America's pastor'

Graham and his wife visit her birthplace in Huaiyin, China, in 1988. They were married for 64 years until her death in 2007.

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Photos: Billy Graham: 'America's pastor'

Graham takes a boat ride with US President George H.W, Bush near Bush's summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine, in 1989.

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Photos: Billy Graham: 'America's pastor'

Graham preaches in New York's Central Park in 1991. It was his first appearance in New York City since 1970. The crowd was estimated at 200,000.

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Photos: Billy Graham: 'America's pastor'

Graham stands next to singer Johnny Cash in New York's Central Park.

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Photos: Billy Graham: 'America's pastor'

Pope John Paul II meets with Graham at the Vatican in 1993. Graham had often been called the "Protestant Pope."

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Photos: Billy Graham: 'America's pastor'

In 1996, House Speaker Newt Gingrich presents Graham with a Congressional Gold Medal during a ceremony on Capitol Hill.

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Photos: Billy Graham: 'America's pastor'

Graham gestures as he speaks to a capacity crowd at Ericsson Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1996.

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Photos: Billy Graham: 'America's pastor'

In 1997, Graham gave the invocation at the second inauguration of President Bill Clinton.

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Photos: Billy Graham: 'America's pastor'

Graham greets Chinese President Jiang Zemin at a California luncheon in 1997.

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Photos: Billy Graham: 'America's pastor'

Former first lady Nancy Reagan greets Graham at the gala dedication of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.

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Photos: Billy Graham: 'America's pastor'

Presidential candidate George W. Bush meets with Graham in Jacksonville, Florida, in 2000. Years earlier, Bush said, a conversation with Graham had helped lead him to give up drinking.

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Photos: Billy Graham: 'America's pastor'

Graham speaks to a crowd at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, in 2004. Over the course of his career, Graham preached to more than 215 million people in more than 185 countries and territories.

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Photos: Billy Graham: 'America's pastor'

Graham leads his "last crusade" at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in New York in 2005. He spoke to more than 230,000 people.

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Photos: Billy Graham: 'America's pastor'

Graham sits in his mountain home in Montreat, North Carolina, in 2006.

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Photos: Billy Graham: 'America's pastor'

Graham and his son Franklin attend the Metro Maryland Festival in 2006. The three-day program was led by Franklin.

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Photos: Billy Graham: 'America's pastor'

US President Barack Obama meets with Graham at his Montreat home in 2010.

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Photos: Billy Graham: 'America's pastor'

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks with Graham and his son Franklin during a visit to Montreat in 2012.

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Photos: Billy Graham: 'America's pastor'

Well-wishers gather with Graham at his 95th birthday celebration in 2013.

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Photos: Billy Graham: 'America's pastor'

Evangelist Billy Graham, who reached millions of people through his Christian rallies and developed a relationship with every US president since Harry Truman, died Wednesday, February 21, at the age of 99.