Wednesday, October 18, 2000:

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From Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, August 30, 1997

Holly to sing with Family Praise Festival today in Post

Sherry Holly will be among those appearing with the Fred Goldsmith Music Ministry's Family Praise Festival at 7 p.m. today at The Community Center in Post at 113 West Main.

''She's given up her secular career to go gospel and heavily into prison ministry,'' Goldsmith said. ''She reminds me a lot of her uncle as far as her voice is concerned; I can hear Buddy Holly in her singing. She has a tremendous witness.''

Goldsmith hosted Holly this week on his radio show ''The Boundless Love Hour,'' which runs on KJAC-FM (92.7) from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays.

Sammantha Ford is the special guest for the concert. She is a member of Monterey Church of the Nazarene.

''She has beautiful style,'' Goldsmith said. ''Her deep voice reminds me of Helen Baylor and Kathy Trocolli.''

Carolyn Oliphint, minister of education at South Plains Christian Fellowship, will be the pianist. She's been accompanying Goldsmith since 1980.

''Sammantha was also with me this week on the show,'' he added. ''I showcase local and area talent. We have a prayer line. There is no charge for the concert, but we will take a love offering.''

Holly, niece of the famed Buddy Holly, is singing in various churches and with prison ministries such as ''Freedom in Jesus'' and ''Unchained Prison Ministries'' in Texas and New Mexico. She began in 1996 working with Mel Way's ''Free Indeed Prison Ministries'' as a singer.

She became professionally involved in music in 1979 with the production by her father, Larry Holley, of ''Holly's House: A Family Album.'' She wrote four of the songs on the album and was the singer for six of the songs. Her first professional performance was in 1986 in Gainsville, performing for a wagon train group that had been traveling through Texas. She also had her own band for a time. Before that, she had been singing in the Dallas area.

Among the highlights of her performances was a Lubbock appearance in 1986 with Carl Perkins, Bo Diddley, Sonny Curtis, The Crickets and Bobby Vee.

In 1988, she performed in London, England, backed by the British group Mike Berry and The Outlaws.

In 1992, she performed for Buddy Holly fans in Limerick, Ireland.

She released an album titled ''Looking Through Buddy's Eyes,'' which includes a single she wrote, ''Cost of Loving You.'' The single was leased to Comstock Records in 1993 and released to 175 radio stations in Europe. The single placed second on the European Independent Charts.

In May of 1993, she did an album promotion tour in Holland, Germany and England.

After living in Nashville, Tenn., for 18 months, she moved back to Lubbock and made the decision to sing gospel music. She plans to do a gospel album of songs she has written.