Last Sunday, as he was preparing to leave for a concert in Wyoming, Country Gospel music artist and songwriter Ray Overholt passed away. He was 84-years-old.
Well-known first in the Michigan area, Overholt was one of the area's first singing cowboys, entertaining kids each weekday morning with his show, "Ray's Roundup." Overholt would play his guitar and sing, while his sidekick Shorty would spin some tall tales.
Overholt was active in gospel "hillbilly" music for years before he wrote one of his signature songs, "Ten Thousand Angels," which changed his life.
In a 2007 interview with SoGospelNews.com, Overholt explains that he was playing nightclubs when he realized he needed to quit the drinking, smoking bar lifestyle. Overholt wasn't a Christian but he knew people were praying for him, and while he'd written many songs, he'd never written one about Jesus. He thought that was a good place to start, so he opened the Bible and started reading about Christ in the garden of Gethsemane. "I read where Jesus told Peter that he could ask his Father and he would send twelve legions of angels," he told SoGospelNews.com. "I didn't know at the time that that would have been more than 72,000 angels."
Overholt wrote the first verse of a song he called "He Could Have Called Ten Thousand Angels," and eventually sent it to a publishing house, which reluctantly agreed to publish it.
Here's where the story gets good: sometime later, he was singing at a small church, and after his performance the preacher gave a salvation message. "I knew I needed Christ," Overholt said, "so I knelt there and accepted, as my Savior, the One whom I had been singing and writing about."
Overholt wrote the song that eventually led him to Christ. Cool, eh?
The Battle Creek Enquirer said in Overholt's obituary that:
He sold the rights to "Ten Thousand Angels" for $25 in 1958 to Lillenas Publishing House "so that others could share in its message too," according to a 1972 Enquirer article. But when sales started to climb, the company gave Overholt full songwriter's rights, allowing the composer to receive royalties and work full-time in gospel ministry.
"Ten Thousand Angels" sold 1 million copies by the 1970s.
Ray Overholt went on to write hundreds of songs which were recorded by the likes of Kate Smith, Loretta Lynn and Janie Fricke, including one of the most recorded songs in Gospel Music History, "Hallelujah Square." The song was nominated for three Gospel Music Association Dove Awards in consecutive years.
According to the Singing News website, Ray Overholt's funeral will be tomorrow, Friday, September 19 2008 at 11:00 a.m. in Battle Creek, Michigan.
Condolences may be sent to his wife Millie at:
Overholt Family
112 S. 26th
Battle Creek, MI 49015
(Photo is of Ray Overholz and the Gospel Harmony Boys.)
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yes i love gospel music southern rasie listen to roy acup great speckel bird loretta lynn think god for all ghospel singer michael combs has touch my heart him him sing he call my name lois hill okla.
I knew Ray Overholt for several years and attended his funeral service last Friday at the First Assembly of God Church in Battle Creek, MI. As Pastor Travis Davis (Ray's son-in-law) said, this event should be a Celebration & not just a funeral, as Ray is now with the Lord in Heaven. Ray was a great spokesman for the Lord & was admired by thousands of people everywhere.
I knew Ray and Millie since i was very small boy, my father and i worked on his buss many times. What i can say about Ray is he never changed, he was always the same man, and he would always pray with you and you could count on him. One time i can remember is i was on the road and god was dealing with me in a special way and i needed someone to pray with me so i called Ray on the phone and didnt have to say anything he just asked can i pray with you and thats all i needed was some prays and to hear him say millie and i love you and your family, he has always been my hereo and will always be remembered for his way of being there for me ,just talking to him. thank you lord for sending him to me. He will be greatly missed by me and my family. Darald Zinger
Ray Overholt and his family of singers came to my dad's church several times in Saginaw Michigan when I was a kid, maybe around the late sixty's, early seventy's. It was always a very uplifting time, and it was easy to sense God's presence. Even though I was very young, I felt the power of God. It formed an idea in me at that young age that I wanted God to move in and through me in that way. If my memory is correct, a young man by the name of Lonnie sang also, And he sang a song called, "Jesus Use Me" I used to sing that song in my church and try and sound like him. Later in life, as I followed God's path for me, that song kept coming back to me as a prayer that I knew that I had prayed in sincerity to God. One last thing, One time on a Sunday, Ray was at my house after singing in church. He let me pick up his guitar. I had let him know that I had learned to play. It was a beautiful Gibson. I started to play "House of the Rising Sun". (The only song I knew) When he heard me playing a "secular" song, he asked me to not play it anymore. he said that his guitar was dedicated to only play songs to the glory of God! He wasn't rude, just commited to what he was to do, and his guitar was part of that commitment. Set apart for God's Kingdom. I owe alot to this man. God has used me for the past 30 years to bring glory to him through my music. In many ways it all started with Ray Overholt singing in our church. God Bless you Ray!
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