NIGHTSONG
BILL & BETTE
BILL COOPER:
Bill was born into a Navy family, stationed in Portsmouth, Virginia,
the first of six children. He was brought up in the Southern Baptist
Church, and gave his life to the Lord at an early age.
Music has always been an important part of Bill's life.
At eight years old, he began taking guitar and piano lessons.
In his teens, he played with various bands in southern New Jersey
where he attended high school, and in his twenties,
worked the Boston club circuit as a singer/songwriter.
But as his musicianship and experience were expanding,
his faith-walk was fading away and his life-style
was taking him down a dangerous road...
a road that almost cost him his life.
By the time Bill finished a hitch in the Marine Corps,
he was a young husband and father returning to his family's
hometown on the eastern end of Long Island in New York to settle
down and raise a family. By this time, it seemed that any chance of
seriously pursuing his music was over, so he put down his guitar,
picked up his tool belt and went to work as a carpenter.
But God had a plan for Bill...a purpose and a destiny that Bill had
never dreamed of. As a result of God's intervention and mercy,
Bill returned to the faith of his childhood and found his way to
an evangelical church where he re-committed his life to Jesus Christ,
and "just happened" to meet...
BETTE KRON:
Bette was born and raised on the eastern end of Long Island,
and from an early age was trained to become a musician.
By the time she was seventeen, she was already a church organist
and it was just an accepted fact that she would enter college
as a music major. Accepted by everyone but Bette.
"I just didn't have the heart for it. What a shock to everyone
when I decided to become a home economist. They couldn't
believe I was throwing away all those years of preparation, but it
turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made."
Throughout her late teens and twenties, Bette continued to
take organist jobs, but they were just that...jobs.
Although she'd been 'raised in the church', Bette had never made
any kind of commitment to Christ, and she eventually became
deeply involved in the New Age movement. It wasn't until the Kron's
returned to eastern Long Island to raise their family, that the Lord began
to challenge those New Age beliefs, and to draw Bette back into
the life of her hometown church, a biblical world view, and a
life-saving relationship with Jesus Christ.
One evening, Bette's husband Gary came home from their church's
worship team rehearsal and told her about a new member of the team...
a guitar player with an awesome voice. He said his name was
Bill Cooper and Gary thought that he might just be the guy to sing the
songs Bette'd been writing for years and stuffing in the piano bench.
Maybe even be the one to cut a demo for that 'imaginary' business
they laughingly called...
NIGHTSONG:
When Bill and Bette met that Sunday morning in 1993,
the topic wasn't music...it was football.
God must indeed have been laughing when he brought together
a classically trained, Michael W. Smith/Amy Grant/Rich Mullins, rabid
Buffalo Bills fan (Bette) and a Lyle Lovitt/Jackson Browne/John Hyatt
folk-rocking, passionately dedicated NY Jets fan.
Not exactly a recipe for a successful musical partnership.
But, that's exactly what God had in mind that morning.
In April of 1998, Bill and Bette began a journey together.
It's now eight years later and they're still on that journey,
having learned much along the way about music, about friendship,
and about the loving God they serve. From the beginning of their
partnership, the Lord has been building upon each one's strengths,
lovingly weaving their individual styles together into a harmonious
body of work with memorable music and lyrics worth listening to.
But the core of this ministry goes beyond the music. It's the compelling
testimony of the grace, hope and wonder of a God who loves us -
"just the way we are."
Nightsong Music Ministry provides a number of services to the community
of faith. Whether it be a concert, Sunday morning worship service,
coffeehouse, or as praise and worship leaders. Whatever the setting:
a college campus, an outdoor festival, a homeless shelter, prison chapel, synagogue or church, Bill and Bette connect, inviting us all to become
participants in the journey of faith.
NOTES:
Bill and Bette are members of the Mattituck Presbyterian Church
in Mattituck, New York
They are also both part of the Emmaus Community
BILL & EILEEN COOPER have three children; Andrew, Justin and Alison.
Bill has served in his church as a Sunday School teacher, adult Bible-study facilitator, choir member, worship team member, and youth group advisor.
BETTE & GARY KRON have two children; Heather and Peter.
They also have a wonderful son-in-law Andy.
Bette has served in her church as a Sunday School Superintendent,
choir member, worship team member, on the mission committee,
and women's Bible-study leader.