Balyeats garner awards, hosting tea parties
By Suzanne Werre
Editor
Underwood’s Charity Balyeat and her mom Nancy just returned from winning international country gospel honors, and they’re already focusing on something new this winter.
Actually, this is more Charity’s thing than her mom’s, but Nancy is giving some input as Charity and her sister MaryAnna of Cavalier host the three-course luncheon at Rose Maylie’s Tea Parlour as part of the Dickens Festival in Garrison.
Charity and Nancy recently returned from Branson, MO, where they were each presented International Country Gospel Music Association awards. Charity, 16, won the Bilingual International Performer of the Year award as well as the Teenage Performer of the Year, while Nancy was awarded the Psalmist of the Year.
As members of the Balyeat Family Band, they do a lot of traveling, sharing their Christian faith at festivals, fairs, church functions and other events. They recently spent several weeks in the Philippines, which is where Charity learned her award-winning song in Tagolag, the national language of the Philippines.
Neither of the Balyeats made much of a fuss over winning their awards; however, Nancy did mention that Dolly Parton and Roy Clark are Hall of Fame members of the music association.
Winning the awards was just a little reinforcement to keep doing what they’re doing.
