I can not believe how the years just keep slipping by and I get lost in the jumble of thing to do, places to go.  However, today I am home, thinking of you , my many friends online.

I need to catch you up a bit.  First, I ask you for your prayers for Gary and me. He was diagnosed with Bone Marrow Cancer last February. He is doing fine thus far as Chemo is keeping the cancer under control for the time being.  We had to cancel all our music events as he is not strong enough to handle the equipment.

I have written three (3) new songs during this Covid and then Cancer season in our lives. Oh, yes, we even had a few weeks of covid but it was easy on both of us and we are fine.  

I am excited about a new book I have written, All Gods Creatures . It is in the process of being published at www.lulu.com and I will let you know when it is available.  Should be just a week or two. I am awaiting my proof copy to finalize approval.  

My books are all available at Lulu.com, Barnes and Noble.com. Google Books, at most any online bookstore.  Some are available as ebooks for $2.95 each! 

my music is available at your favorite music store online. just search my name,  Betty Overstreet, and my songs will appear.  

I would love to hear from you, comment here or email  okiegal55@yahoo.com  I would love to hear from you.

 I am so excited! In the midst of this dramatic year of Covid 19 I have used the Shelter in home to create 10 new Christmas songs. The first Christmas songs ever for me!

Now I have a brand new CD available--"Christmas Eve at Granny's house",  Songs of Family, love, snow, Christmas parties, skating in circles, cookies, hot cider..............

I believe you will love the songs, available on various sites. Join me at Bandcamp:  https://bettyoverstreet.bandcamp.com/album/christmas-eve-at-grannys-house  Where downloads are only about $7.00.  If you follow me on Bandcamp you will receive a message when I upload a new song.  

You can find my music at wwwN1M.com/bettyoverstreet or any favorite music site that you use: Spotify, Amazon, just do a search on your favorite site.  

Lets help Young Moms in need

Hello, I am so happy to see you again here on my Blog Page.

As I sit here another day, wondering when this present state of affairs (THE VIRUS) will finally end, I realized that through my music I could help out my favorite Organization, Alph Pregnance Clinic here in Vacaville Calif.

Alpha helps women who are going through unplanned pregnancy, with counciling, guidance and information. It is Christian based, therefore they try to guide women away from abortion. Then they continue to help after the babie arrives with clothing, diapers--all the necessary things needed to raise a baby.

https://indiegospel.net/betty-overstreet/product or <script src='https://embed.songtradr.com/v1/es' data-key='hikbojdRcnPalOTEtexHkJqUmnTgQYVi' data-size='md'></script>

If you enjoy my music and books and like to help out wonderful organizations---then I have an opportunity  for you.  I now have a store on my website with my CDS, Books and Tshirts. During the month of May and June , 2020 --- Alpha Pregnance clinic in Vacaville, Ca. will receive $5.00 for each item sold .  This offer is also available if you purchase at www.numberonemusic.com/bettyoverstreet. I will be praying that you will choose to help me with this "Fund Raiser", but if not, just keep on listening to my music and let me know what you think of the songs God has given me to write for Him.

"God did a real good job"

Ahhhh, it is time to share another "Littel Ditty" (that is an okie or arkie word  for story or short tale) about how one of my songs came to be recorded.  Usually, the story is about how the song was written but this is a bit different.

As I put the finishing words on my song sheet for "God did a real good job" I called to my husband, producer, techie guy, etc " Honey, whenever you are ready we can record this song.  Of course, he ran right into the recording studio and began opening up the equipment.

If you have heard this song you know it has a Bluzie (is that a real word?) sound, the first one I have written with that beat.

So, here I stand,  in my jeans and tshirt,, microphone in hand  awaiting the first notes of the song.  I try to sing and just can't feel it. Now mind you, I am the songwriter, singer, and I can't get into the mood of my own song.

I try a few times, hear the phone ring and we pause the music.  It's my sister Deborah who lived in either New jersey or Pennsylvania at the time.  Deb has been my helper throughout my music career, always handy to give me an idea when I have none or take off to Nashville for a recording session, etc.

I say, "Deb, I am trying to record this new song and I just can't get it right." She replies , What seems to be the problem?". " Well , Deb, I don't know."  I then explain that it is a new gospel song, with a blues sound.

"Betty , she says, "What are you wearing?". I respond that I am wearing jeans and a tshirt, you know we are just working here at home.

She reminds me that I am used to dressing the part when I am singing a song in public so she says, "I want you to go and change into a long  black evening gown. Put on your make up and fix your hair".

So, knowing she is usually right, I go into my room, pull out my long black gown, looked around for some evening gloves and couldn't find anything but some long winter gloves that went up to my elbows.  Quite a picture , I know!

Well, guess what!  She was right.  As Gary and I began again, it took one take to record the song and now when I begin to sing it at a concert as some church I just grin a little bit and remember   how I looked that day!

You can find the song, "God did a real good job" at www.indiegospel.net/bettyoverstreet  or any of your favorite sites, ie, Spotify, Amazon, etc.  https://indiegospel.net/betty-overstreet/uploaded_audio/5725/god-did-a-real-good-job

Or
<script src='https://embed.songtradr.com/v1/es' data-key='KAmRPtYLAidSJEGiYdJuxKMAMyYhHcBr' data-size='md'></script>

Thank God he loves us,1st Christian church

                    "I love you Honey, but not that much"

The year was 1988, location, Nashville, Tennessee.  Sitting in a café with my promoter, Tommy Thompson and his wife.  

I had just finished my first recording session with Vern Pratte and ready to release one of the recordings.  Tommy was recommended to me by Vern and we were discussing exactly what he would do for me for the amount of money I was to pay him. 

We were enjoying each others company, discussing the way he would promote the song and I added in some silly idea of what he could do to earn his fee and he said, "I love you honey, but not that much" We both laughed and then looked at each other and at the same time voiced the words, " That sounds like a title for a hit song". I said, "I'm going to go home and  write it.".  Tommy said, "Not if I write it first".  I believe he was kidding, I was not!  On the flight home to California, I began working on the song.  

To  me knowledge, Tommy never wrote one by that name.  

<script src='https://embed.songtradr.com/v1/es' data-key='ByycrilnXpMetOLvCZmZIsHOKfIDcMJE' data-size='md'></script>

Thank you Jesus--- Karaoke

You came right back

Dreams don't always happen (when you're dreaming)

We all have dreams running through our heads at various times in our lives of how we want our life to be.  My dream was to be a Country Western singer, my name in lights, my voice reaching out to lovers in a huge arena. 

Time passed, I went to Nashville for a recording session and after the song, "Let the sandman wait" reached the Cashbox charts I was asked to sign with a record company.  A

t that time in my life I was married to a man I felt I couldn't leave at home to go on the road so I gave up my dream to be famous and was satisfied to just sing around in our area and life went on. Divorce followed a few years later.

Then I met Jesus, in a more personal relationship than I had ever had with Him before, and began writing Christian books, having book signings and meeting wonderful people. My music preference began to turn to Christian music as I was asked to sing in our local church.

Then one Sunday morning, Gary came searching for a church family and he found ME!  
Following our marriage, Gary began coming with me when I had a gig, handling the heavy equipment, and singing along with me on lots of the songs.  

Now we have toured from California to Tennessee, Oklahoma, Missouri and Colorado singing the songs God has guided me to write for Him.  

So I finally decided I needed to write a song about Gary and me to share our story with you!   

Dreams don't always happen

You came right back

 

 When I first began singing professionally my name was Betty Kean. This picture was taken a few years after this song was written in 1988. That was the year I went to Nashville for a recording session with producer Vern Pratt.

It was so long ago, when I was younger, gullible and believed that I had all the answers.  I was single after desolving a 20 year marriage, looking for the love of my life, soulmate,in all the wrong places.  I was enjoying the nightlife, dancing, singing when I could find a jam sesson where I could get up on the stage.

and then.....one night I looked across a smoke filled bar room, saw a tall, blond and handsome man and my heart jumped out of my chest. and the romance began, and ended, and began, and.....and my first country song was born.

 "You came right back"

Why do you keep holding on when you know your love for me is gone, you walked out while I was beggin' you to stay.... 

Ain't love grand!  The good thing about romances is there is always another one around the corner until you wake up and let God lead you to the person He has planned for you.

The important thing about this song is, it let me know I could do it. Not just write poetry but let it grow into a song.

I continued to write Country until a few years ago when I began to realize what I really want is to write for God and sing for Him.  I have about six country songs and in fact recently wrote one--"Ain't gona walk that straight line". It is a fun one I will tell you about another day!

My music is available at:

 www.bettyoverstreet.com

 www.numberonemusic.com/lizbeth

www.cdbaby.com/bettyoverstreet12  

What would you do if you had the choice-

I am so happy to see you back, visiting again!  Writing songs is a really interesting hobby, art,--experience!  I never know where a song will come from , what will just click in my brain and start repeating until I have to stop, sit down at my computer and bring it into focus.  

One of my first songs came to me as Gary and I were out for our morning walk.  We were living in Yountville, Ca at the time and just across the highway from us was a park like setting where we often wondered along the pathways in the early (or late) mornings .  As we walked along a trail that morning, the words began appearing in my mind,

What would you do it you had the choice 

What would you do if you heard your Saviors voice

Would you listen to each word

Would you open up your heart

Would you follow your Savior today?

I said, "Gary, you will just have to listen to me sing these words until we get home so I can write them down.  If I stop singing  , I will forget the words and melody!  So he listened, I sang and.... perhaps he walked a little bit ahead of me if he saw someone coming toward us, so they wouldn't know I belonged to him!!  

As I arrived home I headed straight to the office and began pecking out the words, then as I pecked, the rest of the words to the song just kept coming into my fingers on the keyboard.....And the song was born!   God works in mysterious ways!  

 http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/overstreet  
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bettyoverstreet  for newer songs 

Please leave a   comment letting me know where you are from and if you wish to continue reading my Musical Notes!  If noone is reading I need to use my time differently!  Have a great day, Betty

A fun experience

 

 Gary and I went to a fun concert Friday night with a group of friends.  Mark Lowery, the Martins and pianist Whitmire. Mark was so funny and what a voice.  He spoke of how he got his beginng with The Gaithers and how he introduced the Martins to the Gaithers.  I believe it was their mother who, at a concert handed Mark a "cassette" of her children singing. He shared it with Gloria and they were launched!

Mark told the crowd,  "you musicians need to always have a cassette of your songs with you and hand them to any artist you have an opportunity. That was a perfect opening for me to get my songs into someones hands.  I nudged Gary, " Go out and get one of my cds of the newest songs I've written." Being the good husband he is he jumped up , ran out and brought one in to me.

At the end of the concert as Mark was sitting on his chair signing autographs when it was my turn I said, "Sorry Mark, I don't have a cassette, but will my CD work for you?"  He laughed and said, ""sure enough, we will listen to it in the bus!".  

Say a little prayer for me that he likes one enough to want to record it! 

Welcome to our Music Blog!

A Musical note from your friend in God's love 

My husband Gary and I were reading our morning devotionals and talking about spiritual gifts and how important it is to use them for His purpose.  I said, "Gary, I feel  like I'm not doing all I should be since we have such a difficult time finding churches that will invite us to perform our concerts". 

He thought about it for a minute and said, "Betty, you are reaching more people all over the world to share the songs God gives you to write and sing than we could ever reach traveling from church to church.  Just keep writing the songs and sharing them with all those wonderful people who take the time to write and tell you what your music has meant to them  Why don't you start sending a newsletter to the ones who share an email address with you."

Gary is a very smart man so here it is! My first newsletter to my worldwide fan base...thank you so much for taking the time to respond when you hear my music.  You will be the first to hear each new song as we record them as I will send them along with the newsletter each time we create a new one! 

Sometimes we have to open our eyes to the  larger picture  I have been feeling bad because we aren't invited to sing in churches as often as I would like, but God seems to have a different plan for me to reach people all over the world to share the gospel through the songs He gives me. 

¹⁸ And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
¹⁹ Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
²⁰ Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

 Have a wonderful , blessed life,  Betty Overstreet , Vacaville, CA.,USA

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