Born in Oklahoma City on this day (September 10) in 1937, Tommy Overstreet never saw the top of the U.S. country charts during his nearly two-decade career. Always seeming to come up just short, he scored his highest-charting single with 1972’s “Ann (Don’t Go Runnin’)”, which reached number two. (It did, however, top the Canadian country charts.)
While it peaked just shy of number one, “Ann (Don’t Go Runnin’)” kicked off a series of Top Ten hits for Overstreet, including the same year’s “Heaven Is My Woman’s Love,” 1974’s “(Jeannie Marie) You Were a Lady,” and 1975’s “That’s When My Woman Begins.”
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While his commercial success had waned by the 1980s, Overstreet remained a popular concert draw and continued touring with his group the Nashville Express. He died at his home in Hillsboro, Oregon, on November 2, 2015, at age 78.
Today, we’re remembering Thomas Cary Overstreet on what would have been his 89th birthday.
Tommy Overstreet Got His Start Singing Pop Music
Growing up in Houston and Abilene, Texas, Tommy Overstreet’s interest in music stemmed from his cousin, Gene Austin, a popular “crooner” in the 1920s and 1930s.
He got his start at age 17 singing on country and western star Slim Willet’s television show in Abilene. From there, Overstreet pivoted to pop music, performing on Houston radio stations and appearing in the musical Hit the Road.
While studying broadcasting at the University of Texas, he began frequenting the Austin club scene under the name Tommy Dean from Abilene, frequently touring with his cousin.
After a stint in the U.S. Army, Overstreet moved to Los Angeles in the early 1960s, where he began writing songs for pop crooner Pat Boone.
Later, he returned to Texas and formed his own group, The Shadows. He made his first recordings at Norman Petty’s studio in Clovis, New Mexico, as well as a New York session that included future Tonight Show band member Doc Severinsen on trumpet.
Breaking Out on Music Row
Still searching for that elusive breakout hit, Tommy Overstreet moved to Nashville in 1967 to manage the Music City operations at Dot Records.
He also signed a recording contract with the label, achieving minor success with his debut single, 1969’s “Rocking a Memory (That Won’t Go to Sleep)”.
His next record, “If You’re Looking for a Fool,” did even better, and in 1971, he cracked the top 10 for the first time with “Gwen (Congratulations)”, which reached number five.
That marked the first of 23 appearances in the top 40 for Overstreet. His other top 10 hits include 1973’s “Send Me No Roses,” 1974’s “(Jeannie Marie) You Were A Lady,” 1975’s “That’s When My Woman Begins” and 1977’s “Don’t Go City Girl On Me”.
“My uncle told me that you had to sing from the heart and you had to have songs that touched and spoke to other people’s hearts,” Overstreet told Billboard in 2014. “That’s what I tried to do with all of my songs. I tried to think about who I was singing to, and I wanted to touch their hearts.”
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While his hitmaker days had ended by the late 1980s, Overstreet remained in the spotlight. Around that time, he became one of the first country performers to move his operations in Branson, Missouri, where his fast-paced variety shows became a hit with the tourism crowds.
Featured image by Arthur Grimm/United Archives via Getty Images
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