Biography

Harvey Perdue has a rather extensive Native American heritage. His great-grandfather, Joseph Harvey Still, was a full-blooded Cherokee Indian and a circuit-rider Methodist preacher. Harvey's grandmother was full-blooded Cherokee Indian. Harvey Perdue, Sr., Harvey's father,was a three-quarter Cherokee Indian. The first song on this page is "America You're Too Young to Die" which was a hit song for Harvey in 1999 and 2000. The song was number one two months in a row in Country Gospel music and has gone around the world. This song was written by Gary S. Paxton during the Watergate scandal, but he had saved this song and Harvey recorded it. This song has been one of Harvey's biggest hits. Harvey wrote the rest of the songs on this page except for "Love Song to Grandma" and "Hometown, U.S.A." and he obviously had a good reason to write the song "The Cherokee From Tennessee." Harvey lived in Hermitage, Tennessee for a time back in the 1980's and recalls visiting the Trail of Tears which was near the home of Andrew Jackson. He recalls "the terrain was terrible." It broke his heart to see what his ancestors went through and that's where he got the idea for this song. Harvey has always had a heart for the Native American people. Back in the 1970's, he sang to the Ogolaga-Sioux nation in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. One of his best friends, Rocky Cummins, was a Blackfoot Sioux from Wolf Point, Montana. His heart for the Native Americans comes from his Indian ancestory. His next song on this page "We're All American Kids" is the title cut from the album which features his current hit, "Get Up Dow Jones." This song covers the fact that all of us 'natives', whether Indian or not, are all children of America. The third song on this page, "The Memphis Belle" is a song about the B-17 who helped to fight for this great nation. Harvey and his family were honored in 2000 to go on board this infamous plane. It was an amazing feeling of patriotism on Harvey's part. He had written this song a few months prior to going on board the plane and the Memphis Belle Historical Society heard the song and invited the Perdue Family on board the plane. This song is a great tribute to the plane and the men on board who fought for our country.
The final song on this site is called "It Ain't Home" written by Harvey. It speaks of an experience that Harvey had when he revisited his homeplace in the mid 1990's. He said though he grew up there, it just wasn't home without his family being there.
The people who lived in the house let Harvey and his family inside the house so he could see the home he was raised in. He says in the song, "it's a lovely house, but it ain't home." All of these songs are themed around America and its people.
As you give a listen to these songs, let the pride of America swell in your heart. Whether you are an Indian or not you are a 'native american' and an all american kid.