Billie Jo Ferguson - I Just Can't Imagine
Album Review by: Penny Cook Rondinella, Journalist
This amazing, spiritual, wife and mother of three, has a voice straight from heaven. Her sound is very unique and I love how she is true to her roots, which is country music. But instead of going with a country album first, Billie Jo Ferguson decided that her debut album should be a gospel one and I am so glad she did. She has produced very inspirational songs on this project. With titles like “Testify” and “His Life for Mine”, she tells stories of God being in control of her life and she hopes that through her music, others will come to know Christ.
While listening to this CD, it truly drew me in and made me think of how absolutely extraordinary our God is. There isn’t a bad song on this inspirational CD, it’s packed with beautifully written and emotional songs which will lift you up and soothe your soul. I have to admit I do have a favorite and Russell does an exceptional version of it. “How Great Thou Art” has a special place in my heart and she surely didn’t disappoint me with how beautifully she sings it. She is talented beyond belief and there’s no doubt God is smiling when she sings.
She loves all kinds of music and she can play not only the guitar, she plays the flute, piano, piccolo, percussion instruments, and she also loves writing songs. She says she is very proud to be a Christian and truly believes that if it weren’t for God she wouldn’t have the gifts and/or talents that she has been blessed with. She is hoping to make her grandparents proud since they are the ones who raised her and made her the Christian woman she is today. During her high school years they backed her every step of the way. “They were not only her crew” she says with a smile, “they were her background musicians and roadies as well.” They truly supported every aspect of her living her dream and she is very grateful for that.
For more than a decade she has performed at the Point Cotton Picken Theatre, the Gladewater, Wylie, Forney and Point oprys, and the Quinlan Gospel show, in addition to a variety of fundraisers, including Founder's Day, Paws for the Cause, Helping Hands Ministry, Child Abuse Awareness, numerous churches and revivals, and she has sung the National Anthem at a variety of sports events and opened for many artists including one of her idols, the legendary Ray Price.
She has won a great number of both clogging and singing competitions over the years and won for both talent and beauty in the 2005 Today's Girl Pageant, was the regional winner of the Colgate Country Showdown in 2006 and 2007, then took 2nd in 2008. She won her division of the rural American Idol in 2004 and 2008 and is very proud of being nominated for both Entertainer of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year by the Gladewater Opry in 2009. That same year she was also the 2nd Runner up for Miss Rains County and won the title of Miss Congeniality.
Being the Christian woman she is, she has a couple of favorite verses, which are Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me” and Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, they are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and hope.”
With the way she belts out the incredible tunes on this album, I Just Can't Imagine that the beautiful Ms. Russell doesn't know exactly who God created her to be.
TRACKS:
1. Settle On My Soul
2. I Could Tell You Had Forgotten
3. I Wanna Know How It Feels
4. Orphans of God
5. Testify
6. His Life for Mine
7. My Want's Been Changed
8. I Just Can't Imagine
9. Hold On
10. How Great Thou Art
Billie Jo on Facebook
Billie Jo on Reverbnation
This amazing, spiritual, wife and mother of three, has a voice straight from heaven. Her sound is very unique and I love how she is true to her roots, which is country music. But instead of going with a country album first, Billie Jo Ferguson decided that her debut album should be a gospel one and I am so glad she did. She has produced very inspirational songs on this project. With titles like “Testify” and “His Life for Mine”, she tells stories of God being in control of her life and she hopes that through her music, others will come to know Christ.
While listening to this CD, it truly drew me in and made me think of how absolutely extraordinary our God is. There isn’t a bad song on this inspirational CD, it’s packed with beautifully written and emotional songs which will lift you up and soothe your soul. I have to admit I do have a favorite and Russell does an exceptional version of it. “How Great Thou Art” has a special place in my heart and she surely didn’t disappoint me with how beautifully she sings it. She is talented beyond belief and there’s no doubt God is smiling when she sings.
She loves all kinds of music and she can play not only the guitar, she plays the flute, piano, piccolo, percussion instruments, and she also loves writing songs. She says she is very proud to be a Christian and truly believes that if it weren’t for God she wouldn’t have the gifts and/or talents that she has been blessed with. She is hoping to make her grandparents proud since they are the ones who raised her and made her the Christian woman she is today. During her high school years they backed her every step of the way. “They were not only her crew” she says with a smile, “they were her background musicians and roadies as well.” They truly supported every aspect of her living her dream and she is very grateful for that.
For more than a decade she has performed at the Point Cotton Picken Theatre, the Gladewater, Wylie, Forney and Point oprys, and the Quinlan Gospel show, in addition to a variety of fundraisers, including Founder's Day, Paws for the Cause, Helping Hands Ministry, Child Abuse Awareness, numerous churches and revivals, and she has sung the National Anthem at a variety of sports events and opened for many artists including one of her idols, the legendary Ray Price.
She has won a great number of both clogging and singing competitions over the years and won for both talent and beauty in the 2005 Today's Girl Pageant, was the regional winner of the Colgate Country Showdown in 2006 and 2007, then took 2nd in 2008. She won her division of the rural American Idol in 2004 and 2008 and is very proud of being nominated for both Entertainer of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year by the Gladewater Opry in 2009. That same year she was also the 2nd Runner up for Miss Rains County and won the title of Miss Congeniality.
Being the Christian woman she is, she has a couple of favorite verses, which are Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me” and Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, they are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and hope.”
With the way she belts out the incredible tunes on this album, I Just Can't Imagine that the beautiful Ms. Russell doesn't know exactly who God created her to be.
TRACKS:
1. Settle On My Soul
2. I Could Tell You Had Forgotten
3. I Wanna Know How It Feels
4. Orphans of God
5. Testify
6. His Life for Mine
7. My Want's Been Changed
8. I Just Can't Imagine
9. Hold On
10. How Great Thou Art
Billie Jo on Facebook
Billie Jo on Reverbnation