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11 Years Ago Today, We Lost a ‘Hee Haw’ Regular and Countrypolitan Hitmaker Who Scored 11 Top 10 Hits but Never Reached No. 1
Tommy Overstreet, a country singer whose heartfelt songs made him a 1970s hitmaker, died at home in Hillsboro, Oregon, on 2 November 2015, aged 78. Although he never reached No. 1 on the US country charts, he scored 11 top 10 hits and later reached a wider audience through appearances on the television show Hee Haw.
Born in Oklahoma City in 1937, Overstreet began performing at 17 and moved to Nashville in 1967, where he managed Dot Records and signed with the label. His first chart success was “Gwen (Congratulations)” in 1971, which reached No. 5; “Ann (Don’t Go Runnin’)” peaked at No. 2 the following year. His charting career continued into the 1980s, and he later toured extensively with the Nashville Express and performed in Branson, Missouri, until ill health led him to retire in the late 1990s.
In short
- Tommy Overstreet had 11 US country top 10 hits, but no No. 1.
- His biggest hit, “Ann (Don’t Go Runnin’)”, reached No. 2.
- He later found a wider audience on Hee Haw.
Explained simply
Tommy Overstreet was an American country singer who became known for heartfelt songs during the 1970s. He was born in Oklahoma City in 1937, began performing as a teenager and moved to Nashville, the centre of the US country music business, in 1967.
Overstreet worked at Dot Records, which also signed him as a recording artist. His songs became regulars on country radio: 11 reached the top 10 of the US country chart, though none reached the top spot. He later appeared on Hee Haw, a television variety show that brought country music performers to a wider audience.