Jean Shepard

Infobox musical artist |
Name = Jean Shepard

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Img_capt = Jean Shepard in 2006.
(Photo by Sisterphotography)
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Ollie Imogene Shepard
Alias = The Grand Lady of the Grand Ole Opry
Born = birth date and age|1933|11|21
Origin = Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, U.S.
Genre = Country
Occupation = Singer-songwriter
Years_active = 1953 – Present
Label = Capitol
United Artists
GRT
Laserlight
Associated_acts = Ferlin Husky, Ray Pillow

Ollie Imogene Shepard, known professionally as Jean Shepard (November 21, 1933) is an American country music singer-songwriter, who was one of the first female Country music stars and had a series of hits between the 1950s and 1970s.

After the breakthrough of Kitty Wells in 1952, Shepard entered Country music and became only the second female Country singer to be able to sustain her success as a solo artist. She has a series of major hits in the 1950s, and her exposure on television and the "Grand Ole Opry" helped her to become a major star at the time when few female Country singers had permanent success. Her early hit duet “A Dear John Letter,” sung with Ferlin Husky, was the first post-World War II country record by a woman to sell a million copies. [ "Grand Ole Opry.com." [http://www.opry.com/meettheopry/members.aspx?id=102 Grand Ole Opry members - Jean Shepard] retrieved 6-20-08. ]

Early life

Childhood & teen years

Shepard was born Ollie Imogene Shepard in 1933 in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, but was raised in an area that surrounded Bakersfield, California. As a teenager, she began her musical career by playing bass in the "Melody Ranch Girls", an all-female band formed in 1948. Hank Thompson discovered Shepard a few years after the group formed. Dan Cooper & Stephen Thomas Erlewine [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:0zfwxqt5ld0e~T1 "Jean Shepard biography & profile"] "All Music Guide.com"; retrieved 6-19-08. ]

Rise to fame

With Thompson's help, Shepard acquired a recording contract with Capitol Records in 1952. This happened following the success of Kitty Wells's "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels", which helped female Country singers gain success in the 1950s. Shepard cut four songs at her first session with popular band players, Jimmy Bryant, Speedy West, Cliffie Stone, and Billy Strange. She recorded her first single for the label in 1952, "Crying Steel Guitar Waltz," but it failed to chart. Wolff, Kurt (2000). In "Country Music: The Rough Guide". Orla Duane, Editor. London: Rough Guides Ltd. p. 195.]

Music career

1953 – 1963: Breakthrough

Shepard's first chart appearance was in 1953 as a duet partner with Ferlin Husky, with "A Dear John Letter". It was a number one smash, and also became a major crossover Pop hit, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Pop Chart. Jean's parents signed her rights over to Ferlin, so she could go on tour. They had to do this because she was not the legal age of twenty-one, and was not considered an adult. "Country Music. About.com" [http://countrymusic.about.com/od/jeanshepard/a/LC_JShepard.htm Jean Shepard at Country Music.about.com] Country music's Legends Corner; retrieved 6-19-08. ] The song struck a chord a with audiences at the time, being it was a half-spoken duet about the Korean War that began in the early 1950s. The duo's follow-up to the hit single, "Forgive Me John" was another major crossover hit, peaking in the Top 10 on the Country charts and the Top 25 on the Pop charts.

In 1955, she had her first solo Top 10 single, "A Satisfied Mind," which was backed by the #13 hit "Take Possession." "A Satisfied Mind" peaked at #4 on the Billboard Country Chart. The song was covered the same year by Country singers, Red Foley and Porter Wagoner, who also had Top 10 hits with their versions of the song. Shepard Had another Top 5 hit the same year with "Beautiful Lies" and its flip side, "I Thought of You" peaked in the Country Top 10. Her streak of hit singles led to an invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry in 1956. Shepard was one of the few female Country stars to be on the Opry at the time. Kitty Wells and Minnie Pearl were the only singers at the time on the show besides Shepard herself. "Country Universe.com" [http://countryuniverse.wordpress.com/2008/05/29/100-greatest-women-34-jean-shepard/ 100 Greatest Women of Country music - Jean Shepard (ranking - #34)] retrieved 6-19-08 ] Shepard also moved to Missouri and joined Red Foley's "Ozark Jubilee" ABC television show and recorded her first studio album, "Songs of a Love Affair", all written by Shepard.

Between 1956 and 1963, Shepard had nearly no charting Country singles. This was primarily because she was a Honky Tonk singer at the time, the Nashville Sound was more popular. However, Shepard did have two charting singles in 1958 and 1959, with "I Want to Go Where No One Knows Me" and "Have Heart Will Love" and was also named "Cash Box Magazine"'s "Top Female Artist" of 1959.

In 1960 Shepard married fellow Opry star, Hawkshaw Hawkins. Tragically, however, Hawkins was killed three years later in the same plane crash that killed Patsy Cline and Cowboy Copas. However, Shepard later married Benny Birchfiled, a musician, singer, and prominent member of the Country music community, [ retrirved 6-19-08 [http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Jean-Shepard-Biography/5B2370E2A33BA0D848256E6E0025A76B "Lyrics by Jean Shepard & biography"] Sing365.com ] and they are still married today.

1964 – 1978: Commercial resurgence

Between 1960 and 1963, Shepard released a variety of singles under Capitol, but none of them were breaking through to the public and none of her singles charted between this time. "Country Music Television.com" [http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/shepard_jean/bio.jhtml Jean Shepard profile] retrieved 6-20-08. ] In 1964, she returned to the Top Ten with "Second Fiddle (To an Old Guitar)." The song began a string of hits for Shepard within the decade, and proved a commercial comeback for her as well. In 1964 and 1965, Shepard had two Top 40 hits with "A Tear Dropped By" and "Someone's Gotta Cry," spawned off the "Heart, We Did All We Could" LP that was later released in 1967. In 1966, Shepard recorded a duet with Country singer, Ray Pillow titled, "I'll Take the Dog," which peaked at #9 on the Billboard Country Chart. This was followed by two solo hit singles the same year with the Top 10 hit, "If the Teardrops Were Silver" and the Top 15 hit, "Many Happy Hangovers to You."

Shepard did many firsts for a female Country artist including, the first Country singer to overdub her voice on records, the first female Country singer to make a television commercial in color, and also later becoming the first female Country singer to be a member of the "Grand Ole Opry" for over 50 years. "Myspace.com" [http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://a313.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/36/m_3679b8e585a6731157189f640aaa9c60.jpg&imgrefurl=http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm%3Ffuseaction%3Duser.viewprofile%26friendid%3D179142743&h=248&w=170&sz=10&hl=en&start=16&um=1&tbnid=xLeuzZ2KZbCTQM:&tbnh=111&tbnw=76&prev=/images%3Fq%3DJean%2BShepard%2Bcountry%2Bsinger%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN "Jean Shepard profile at myspace.com"] retrieved 6-20-08. ] In 1967, Shepard had two Top 20 hits with the title track of "Heart, We Did All We Could" and the single "Your Forevers Don't Last Very Long". However, the following year, she had only one Top 40 hit, but continued to release albums, which included 1968's "A Real Good Woman." In 1969, Shepard's LP, "Seven Lonely Days" produced the hit single of the same name that reached the Top 20. With the release of 1969's "Then He Touched Me," Shepard had a Top 10 hit. This was followed by three major hits in 1970, including the Top 15 hit, "Another Lonely Night." However, under Capitol, Shepard only had one more Top 40 hit with 1971's "With His Hand in Mine," and shortly afterward, her singles began to drop out of the Top 40.

In the early 70's Jean moved to United Artists Records. [ [http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Rec/rec.music.country.western/2006-09/msg00013.html Jean Shepard newsgroup] retrieved 6-20-08 ] Her first single for the label in 1973, the Bill Anderson-penned “Slippin’ Away”, was her biggest solo hit since the fifties. The single peaked at #4 on the Billboard Country Chart and also charted on the Billboard Pop Chart, peaking outside the Top 40. With the success of the single, an LP of the same name was released the same year and peaked at #15 on the Top Country Albums chart. Shepard's hits continued throughout the '70s, though as the decade wore on she hit the Top 40 with less and less frequency. She had three Top 20 hits in 1974, beginning with the #13 smash "At the Time," and also including "I'll Do Anything It Takes (To Stay With You)". In 1975, Shepard recorded an album of songs written by Bill Anderson titled, "Poor Sweet Baby (And Ten More Bill Anderson Songs)". Both singles from the album were Top 20 hits on the Billboard Country Chart between 1974 and 1975, and were also her last Top 40 hit singles.

She created controversy when she served as president of the "Association of Country Entertainers", formed in response to Olivia Newton-John’s CMA "Female Vocalist of the Year" win in 1974. The organization was designed in trying to keep Country music pure and publicly criticized the Pop influences from Country music at the time.

In 1975 and 1976, Shepard recorded two albums with "I'm a Believer" and "Mercy / Ain't Love Good", before departing from the label in 1976. In response, United Artists released a "Greatest Hits" compilation. Between 1977 and 1978, she recorded for the smaller GRT label, which produced minor hit singles on the Billboard Country Chart. She had her last charting record in 1978 under the label with "The Real Thing."

1979 – present: Career decline & present music career

Following departing from GRT at the end of the 70s, Shepard didn't record again until 1981, when she released a final studio album under the label, Laselight titled, "Dear John," which included remakes of her major hits, including "A Dear John Letter" and "Slippin' Away," but also included a new song, "Too Many Rivers."

She continued to perform at the "Grand Ole Opry" and tour, particularly in the UK, where she had a strong fan base. Her work has also been reissued thoroughly by Bear Family Records, preserving many of her hit singles. Although in her seventies, Shepard continues to regularly tour and perform. Her touring show titled, "The Jean Shepard Show" has toured all over the country, and she still performs at the Grand Ole Opry occasionally.

In 2006, Shepard celebrated 50 years as a member of the "Grand Ole Opry" and is the longest-living female member of the Opry to date. [ [http://countrymusic.about.com/od/cdreviewsmz/fr/CB_LCGrtLadies.htm Jean Shepard celebrates 50 years as member of Grand Ole Opry] Located in middle of paragraph three; retrieved 6-20-08 ]

Discography

References

External links

* [http://www.opry.com/MeetTheOpry/Members.aspx?id=102 Jean Shepard at Opry.com]
* [http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/shepard_jean/artist.jhtml CMT.com: Jean Shepard]