It was a hot day in June of 1969 when Bobby and Betty “tied the knot” in marriage at their home church in South Amherst, Ohio. They had met several years prior in church youth group. Bobby played the guitar for a lady’s youth trio and Betty sang alto. It was not long after they met that Uncle Sam’s draft for the Vietnam Conflict called Bobby into the draft in 1965. He served as a tank trainer until 1967 and was blessed to stay in the states due to his Father’s illness and death. He remained in the Army Reserves until 1969.
Bobby and Betty were both born in Kentucky in families of coal miners, farmers, and hardworking Christian families. Betty came to Ohio out of her Dad’s hope to get out of the coal mines for a better quality of life in 1954, only to find hard work in the quarries. These hard times would later shape Betty into her love of writing songs portraying some of the struggles of her family’s life. Her song, promoted by Randall Wilds entitled “Daddy Prayed”, was one example of a hard knock life. She loves writing songs geared towards family, hard times, her memories, and spiritual blessings.
After Bobby was discharged from the Army, he played the guitar and sang in a trio with his brother and aunt. He and his brother Roy, coordinated and sponsored a weekly Sunday broadcast over the Ashland and Norwalk, Ohio stations until the 1990’s. Betty sang as a soloist accompanied by their guitars and his nephew playing the mandolin. It was in these precious moments that their love for singing gospel music together began in this radio ministry.
As they began to raise the family, their lives began to become more complex and challenging to stay focused on their ministry. Bobby worked at the Lorain Assembly Plant and Betty made a career in nursing that required many hours study to move from a Nurse’s Assistant to a master’s prepared nurse. Often Bobby and Betty worked different shifts to meet the needs of their three children: Valerie, Vanessa, and Curtis. The weekends were often filled with “catch up” time and service at their local church. Their service consisted of singing as a family and in their church choir. Curtis started singing at age nine as he played the electronic drums. His love for music grew into playing the drums, bass, and acoustic guitar they sang in family groups until late 1998 after both Betty and Curtis graduated from college. Singing with “The Arks” they made their first big project assisted by members of The Payne Family at a local studio the historical cassette tape.
Their seriousness in ministry began after they attended the Doctor Charles Novell School of Music in Nashville Tennessee. The school is now under the direction of his son, Rob Novell. The school was once known as the Stamps Baxter School of music under the direction of the famous J. D. Sumner and the Stamps. The school brought them to a whole new level in music. It was there that they learned the professional skills required in gospel music. In two weeks, they acquired knowledge about stage presence, vocal training, talent improvement, spiritual growth, music theory as well as other improvement courses. Bobby, Betty, and Curtis began to grow in gospel music. It was Dr. Charles Novell that put together the first southern gospel compilation disc called, “Mamma’s Bible. He show-cased them at his day event during the National Quartet Convention in Louisville Kentucky in the mid 1990’s. With God’s help, they began to grow as a family singing gospel music. In 2003, they produced “God Wake America” album that became their staple in establishing their genre in bluegrass gospel music. It was produced by Mark Fain in Mark Burchfield’s studio in Nashville with the super pickers in Ricky Scragg’s Band. They traveled on weekends singing as The Bobby Jones Family and come Monday, would head out to full-time jobs. By 2007, the demands to relocate, would take its toll on Betty and Curtis, to be required to move to Reynoldsburg Ohio. The move brought challenges to their ability to make it to appointments required in their ministry. Curtis would soon find the love of his life and would not be able to meet the commitment to sing and play the guitar for the group. Betty became very discouraged and depressed and would not sing until a tragedy happened after their move back Ohio in 2011, when Betty suffered two strokes and cancer of the thyroid. However, God works in mysterious ways to bring these challenges to bring Betty back into the ministry in a whole new level. Her voice had changed from the strokes and the thyroid surgery.
Her pastor encouraged her to continue sing after the health challenges. She persevered and the new Bobby Jones Family was formed that consisted of Bobby and Betty. The highlights of the ministry would soon blossom into the ministry of today. Once again, Charles Novell School of Music helped her through the challenges of the changes in her vocal range. In 2016, the album entitled “Movin On”, was recorded at Watershed Studio in Nashville. The songs from this album were promoted by Patterson Promotions and Wilds & Associates. Beginning with “Mercy and Grace”, for the first time in gospel music their songs hit # 9 in the Bluegrass Singing News Chart as well as the Christian Voice charts and others. Since then, “Harvest Wind”, “Daddy Prayed”, “Rise Up Lazarus” and other songs charted that blessed their ministry with many opportunities. It was God that provided the right people in their lives to facilitate these opportunities of recognition. In 2017, 2019 and 2020, The Bobby Jones Family were blessed to be the recipients of the Christian Voice Magazine Bluegrass Fan Awards.
However, their focus remained to minister to the needs of the people in worship, testimony, song, praise, prayer, and daily devotions. They remain active in their local church and often sing when they are not traveling. The COVID virus has led to fewer traveling appointments but has also provided them with the opportunity for Betty to write some new songs that will be tracked in a future project. Their latest opportunity is a project that is currently under development entitled “Walkin Down The Road”. It is in the making and just in time for Father’s Day. A song written by Tami Pockstaller called, “In My Father’s House”. The song is so powerful and anointed, that during the recording session, Betty broke down into tears. God’s way of letting her know that it will touch the hearts of others.
That is what ministry is all about! Meeting the spiritual needs of the people and to be found in the center of His will. Whether their opportunities call them to sing in a campground, church event, a church service, a convention, nursing home or on the street to let others know that there is joy in serving the Lord. When He saves us and calls us to serve Him in a variety of areas to magnify His name. He equips us with the talents necessary to fulfil His will to bring the gospel to others. Let us run the race with patience!