Outskirts Press The steps of a good man: the old travelin' troubadour, paperback/bill carter

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Description While you may never meet Bill in person, you will get to know this man and want to know more about him as you turn the pages of his memoir.

Here is an excerpt from Chapter 1: There were no church bells ringing, no celebrations on that cold, winter day, December 11, 1929.

It was just another day in the little community of Eagleton, Arkansas, which is near the town of Mena.

Though located in one of the prettiest places on earth, Southwestern Arkansas, my family was more concerned with finding food and shelter for their family.

There were already five children; I was the sixth child and another mouth to feed.

Three more would follow in the next few years.

I was named William Franklin Carter after my mother's father.

Mama and Daddy raised us nine kids with a cook stove that had to have wood cut for it.

We lived off the land, raised our own food and if we went to town, it was the team and wagon that took us there.

It brings back such memories, for this was the life of the Carter family.

There has always been a song in my spirit.

When I was nine years old, I was riding in the back seat of my teacher's car where we all lived in Loneoak, Arkansas.

I suddenly began to sing 'A Pocket Full of Dreams.

'My teacher said, 'William, I cannot believe what my ears are hearing; you are a very good singer for a nine-year-old kid; I'm going to get you on the radio in Little Rock.

Sure enough, she kept her word.

That lady teacher made arrangements for me to go to Little Rock the following Saturday to sing in a talent show on radio station KGHI.

We arrived at Radio Station in Little Rock where I sang, A Pocket Full of Dreams.

A little kid from a poor family would identify with a song like that.

My imagination was at work as the broadcast took place.

This was a small step in the right direction for a little guy who usually went barefoot in the summertime and was often seen with only one strap of my overalls up.

I have been asked the question many times as to when I sta.