JoJo Billingsley

Deborah Jo "JoJo" Billingsley is an American singer, soloist, songwriter and recording artist. As a backup vocalist, Billingsley is best known as a backing vocalist with Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. As one of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Honkettes, JoJo toured with the band from Japan to England.

Lynyrd Skynyrd

In December 1975, she was hired, along with Cassie Gaines and Leslie Hawkins, to be a backup singer for Lynyrd Skynyrd. The group's leader Ronnie Van Zant dubbed them "The Honkettes".

In the October 20, 1977 airplane crash that killed several members of the band and road crew, Billingsley was the only band member not on the flight. JoJo states that she had a dream two nights before the plane crashed foreseeing the crash. She attempted to warn the other band members not to get on the plane. According to JoJo, it led her to undergo a religious conversion.Fact|date=May 2008

Recent appearances

In 2005, she performed several times as "The Honkettes" in an alternative version of Lynyrd Skynyrd that also included former Skynyrd members Ed King, Artimus Pyle and Leslie Hawkins that helped to raise money for Katrina victims.

In 2006, Leslie Hawkins and JoJo Billingsley performed with Lynyrd Skynyrd for only the third time since the 1977 plane crash. The first was at Charlie Daniels' 1979 Volunteer Jam (film of which appears in the VH-1 "Behind The Music" profile of the band), the second at the opening of "Freebird The Movie" at Atlanta's Fox Theatre in 1995), and singing "Sweet Home Alabama" at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at which Lynyrd Skynyrd was honored.

She also has done many television and radio appearances, has appeared in several movies, DVDs, and has traveled extensively throughout the world.

Her latest CD release is titled, "I Will Obey".

Family

JoJo is the sister of Jennifer Billingsley, [ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0082515/ Jennifer Billingsley - IMDB entry] ] the female lead in the Burt Reynolds southern action movie White Lightning.

Billingsley now lives with her husband, Tim, and her daughter, Destiny, in Cullman, Alabama where they attend Spirit Life Church. She also has a son, Justin, who is in the US Navy, currently stationed at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

References