If you’re a fan of Randy Travis’ early output, you’re a fan of Paul Overstreet’s songwriting. He and Don Schlitz wrote some of Travis’ biggest songs, including his first No. 1, “On the Other Hand,” and his biggest hit, “Forever and Ever, Amen.” However, if Overstreet had gotten his way, those songs would have gone to different artists.
Videos by American Songwriter
Recently, Overstreet sat down with American Songwriter to talk about his latest release and his long career full of massive country hits. During the conversation, he reflected on supplying Travis with a long line of hit songs.
Paul Overstreet on the Classic Songs Randy Travis Almost Didn’t Get
Paul Overstreet grew up on classic country music. After he moved to Nashville and chose to become a songwriter, he wanted to write country songs. However, traditional-sounding country music wasn’t popular at the time. During our conversation, Overstreet remembered people laughing at his songs that they deemed too country. Then came Randy Travis. “All he wanted to do was country,” Overstreet recalls. “He didn’t want to be a pop artist. So, our songs were kind of a natural fit for him.”
He co-wrote “On the Other Hand” with Don Schlitz, and it became Travis’ first No. 1. However, it almost went to a different artist. “We had pitched ‘On the Other Hand’ for Dan Seals, Kyle [Lehning], who was producing him, said ‘I don’t hear that song for Dan, but I hear it for a new artist that I’m doing,’” Overstreet says. “I was about to sign my record deal. I was thinking to myself that if it was going to go to a new artist, I’d rather just keep it because I loved it. It said something that I wanted to say,” he explains.
One day, though, Overstreet had a change of heart. “Everybody else wanted to let Kyle cut it on this new artist. I was just fighting it a little bit. Then, I was driving down Music Row one day, and I got this little Bible verse going through my head. It is more blessed to give than to receive,” he recalls. “So, I called everybody and told them to let them have the song. That’s how our relationship with Randy started. We didn’t even really know his name.”
Randy Travis took “Forever and Ever, Amen” to No. 1 on the country chart in 1987. It held the peak position for three weeks. It also won Song of the Year at the ACM and CMA Awards. Additionally, it took the Grammy Award for Best Country Song. That almost wasn’t the case, though.
“When we wrote ‘Forever and Ever, Amen,’ I wanted to take it to George Jones. Our publishing company wanted to take it to Randy. So, they got that song,” Overstreet recalls.
It’s hard to imagine a world in which Randy Travis didn’t cut those songs.
Featured Image by David Redfern/Redferns
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.