the Dale Overstreet Bluegrass Band

Hello, this is the Dale Overstreet Bluegrass Band. 

Yes, Tony Overstreet is still playing the dobro as well as the guitar and singing, although he isn’t as active as he used to be. We try to bring him out of retirement from time to time HAHA. As far as influences by relatives, Tony has said there was an older gentleman that would come visit and would play guitar. Tony would watch him play guitar and learn chords from him. Later on, Tony’s older sister acquired a guitar and Tony started teaching himself to play bluegrass guitar. After playing in several groups around the local area and playing in churches, he joined a bluegrass band from the Roanoke area, Plum Sideways, and began playing the dobro in the style of Uncle Josh Graves, known by many as King of the Dobro. Since then, he has won many awards for his playing. 

As for me (Robert Overstreet) I was always around music. In 1988 (at the age of 10) I told my dad I wanted to play the bluegrass banjo. So, we borrowed a neighbor’s banjo and set out for Robert’s Piano Company of Lynchburg, Virginia and was introduced to David Wells (a prominent bluegrass banjo instructor in the area) at that time. David is still doing lessons today on a limited basis. After about 3 months of weekly lessons, David decided that I would be able to, with lots of practice and hard work, become a banjo player. So, my parents invested in a better quality banjo for me to play (it is my thought that with kids learning to play an instrument you don’t go out and buy a Cadillac until you see that they can drive; although, I feel like the better the instrument, the better they will want to play and practice). After a couple of years, I was again upgraded to a professional quality banjo made by Stelling Banjo Works LTD for a Christmas gift. I have since played in numerous bands, traveled the East Coast and to Canada and I am grateful and blessed for the opportunities I have had to share my God-given talent of music with people. 

Fast forward to 2013: I put a banjo in my son Dale’s hands and showed him a couple rolls and he began to play them without much problem. So, I asked him if he would be interested in learning the banjo. Dale showed interest in learning so we got in touch with David Wells again, and began taking him for lessons and as times changed and more technology came about in Dale’s childhood, he was more busy with distractions than I was in my youth and didn’t pick the banjo up for about a year. But now, he has decided it’s not going to come for free. Since he picked it back up, you can’t get him to put it down (which is great). He loves to jam with other musicians and also enjoys playing in our local church. He has won several awards with his banjo playing. Dale is a pretty fast learner as I can show him how something goes and within 20 minutes he is playing it exactly how I showed him. 

So come on out to the Sedalia Country Fair to enjoy 3 generations of music on stage accompanied by Mike Tyree from Amherst, Virginia on bass which when it comes to bluegrass bass playing there is none better. 

With places like the Sedalia Center, Bower Center for the Arts, events such as Centerfest, and numerous festivals around the area, there are plenty of chances to take in some great local talent. As far as the bluegrass music of this area and all over the world, there are many different styles from traditional to contemporary. But, if you really stop and think, we owe it all to pioneers such as Reno & Smiley, Flatt & Scruggs, Jim & Jesse, Mac Wiseman, and the list could go on and on but I feel at the top of the list should be the father of bluegrass music Bill Monroe. 

As far as other kinds of music I listen to, I would have to say my favorite would be the oldies from the 60s because in that era, you either had it or you went to the house. 

We are excited to be providing some traditional bluegrass music for your event.