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Biography
distinguish2|American writer, raconteur, radio host Jean Shepherd Infobox musical artist| | name = Jean Shepard| image = Jean Shepard.jpg| caption = Jean Shepard in 2006 (Sister Sisters Photography)| background = solo_singer| birth_name = Ollie Imogene Shepard| birth_date = birth date and age|1933|11|21| origin = Pauls Valley, Oklahoma , United States|U.S. | genre = Country Music|country , honky tonk | occupation = singer-songwriter | years_active = 1952& ndash;present| label = Capitol Records|Capitol United Artists Records|United Artists GRT Laserlight| associated_acts = Ferlin Husky , Ray Pillow Ollie Imogene Shepard (born November 21, 1933), better known as Jean Shepard , is an United States|American honky tonk singer-songwriter who was a pioneer for women in country music . Shepard released a total of 73 singles to the Hot Country Songs chart, one of which reached the No. 1 spot. She recorded a total of 24 studio albums between 1956 and 1981, and has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry for more than 50 years.
After Kitty Wells ' 1952 breakthrough, Shepard quickly followed, and a national television gig and the Opry helped make her a star when few female country singers had enduring success. Her first hit, " A Dear John Letter ", a 1953 duet with Ferlin Husky , was the first post-World War II record by a woman country artist to sell more than 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. Dead link|date=March 2010
Biography
Jean Shepard was born November 21, 1933 in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma , but was raised in Visalia, California near Bakersfield. As a teenager, she played bass in the Melody Ranch Girls, an all-female band formed in 1948. Hank Thompson (musician)|Hank Thompson discovered Shepard a few years later.Dan Cooper & Stephen Thomas Erlewine Allmusic|class=artist|id=p36427/biography|pure_url=yes Jean Shepard biography & profile Allmusic.com ; retrieved 6-19-08. With Thompson's help, Shepard signed with Capitol Records in 1952, following the success of Kitty Wells' " It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels " 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.
1953& ndash;1956: Breakthrough
Shepard's first chart appearance was 1953's duet with Ferlin Husky , with "A Dear John Letter". It was a No. 1 smash, and also became a major crossover pop hit, peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100| Billboard pop chart . The song struck a chord a with audiences as it was a half-spoken duet about a soldier in the Korean War . The duo's follow-up, "Forgive Me John", was another crossover hit, peaking in the Top 10 on the country chart and the top 25 on the pop chart. Because at 20 she was still a minor, Shepard's parents signed her rights to Husky so she could tour. 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.
In 1955, Shepard joined American Broadcasting Company|ABC-TV 's nationally-telecast Ozark Jubilee for several years, and recorded her first studio album, Songs of a Love Affair , written by Shepard. She also charted her first solo top ten single, "A Satisfied Mind", that same year, backed by the No. 13 hit, "Take Possession". "A Satisfied Mind" peaked at No. 4 on the Hot Country Songs| Billboard country chart . Shepard had another top five hit the same year with "Beautiful Lies". Its flip side, "I Thought of You", peaked in the country top ten. Her streak of hit singles led to an invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry in 1958 as one of its few female stars; Kitty Wells and Minnie Pearl were the only others. 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
Because she was a Honky Tonk|honky tonk singer when the Nashville sound was popular, Shepard had just two charting country singles between 1956 and 1963. She had two charting singles in 1958 and 1959, however, with "I Want to Go Where No One Knows Me" and "Have Heart Will Love"; and was also named Cash Box magazine|Cash Box s Top Female Artist of 1959.
In 1960, Shepard married fellow Opry star Hawkshaw Hawkins , who she had met on Ozark Jubilee. He died three years later in the plane crash that killed Patsy Cline and Cowboy Copas . She later married country music musician and singer Benny Birchfieldretrieved 6-19-08 http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Jean-Shepard-Biography/5B2370E2A33BA0D848256E6E0025A76B Lyrics by Jean Shepard & biography Sing365.com and they remain married.
1964& ndash;1978: Commercial resurgence
Shepard returned to the top ten in 1964 with "Second Fiddle (To an Old Guitar)", which began a string of hits and proved a commercial comeback as well. In 1964 and 1965, she had two Top 40 hits with "A Tear Dropped By" and "Someone's Gotta Cry", from the Heart, We Did All We Could LP released in 1967. In 1966, Shepard recorded a duet with country singer Ray Pillow titled, "I'll Take the Dog", which peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard country chart. This was followed by two solo hit singles the same year: the top ten hit, "If the Teardrops Were Silver" and the top 15 hit, "Many Happy Hangovers to You".
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". 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 ten hit; followed by three hits in 1970, including the top 15 hit, "Another Lonely Night". Shepard had one more Top 40 hit with Capitol, 1971's "With His Hand in Mine", and shortly afterward her singles began to drop out of the Top 40.
In the early 1970s, Shepard moved to United Artists Records . http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Rec/rec.music.country.western/2006-09/msg00013.html a message in the rec.music.country.western newsgroup retrieved 6-20-08 Her first single for the label in 1973, the Bill Anderson (singer)|Bill Anderson -penned “ Slippin' Away (Jean Shepard song)|Slippin' Away ,” was her biggest solo hit since the fifties. The single peaked at No. 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 No. 15 on the Top Country Albums chart. Shepard's hits continued throughout the 1970s, though as the decade wore on she hit the Top 40 less frequently. She had three top 20 hits in 1974, beginning with the No. 13 smash "At the Time", and "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 singles.
She created controversy when she served as president of the Association of Country Entertainers, formed in response to Olivia Newton-John ’s Country Music Association Awards|CMA Female Vocalist of the Year win in 1974. The organization was intended to keep country music "pure" and criticized the pop influences at the time.
In 1975 and 1976, Shepard recorded two albums, ''I'm a Believer and Mercy/Ain't Love Good , before leaving 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".
1980& ndash;present: Later years
After departing GRT at the end of the 1970s, Shepard did not record again until 1981, when she released a final studio album under the label Laselight titled, Dear John, which included remakes of her 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 by Bear Family Records. Although in her seventies, Shepard continues to regularly tour and perform. Her touring show, "The Jean Shepard Show," has toured the U.S. and she performs at the Grand Ole Opry regularly.
In 2005, Shepard celebrated 50 years as a member of the 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 In 2011, Shepard was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame .cite web|url= http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/01/us-country-idUSTRE7205H820110301|title=Reba McEntire among Country Hall of Fame inductees|publisher= Reuters |date=3/1/2011|accessdate=3/1/2011
Discography
Main|Jean Shepard albums discography|Jean Shepard singles discography
References/notes
Reflist
External links
http://www.jeanshepardcountry.com/ Jean Shepard's official Web site
http://www.opry.com/MeetTheOpry/Members.aspx? id=102 Jean Shepard biography at Opry.com
http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/shepard_jean/bio.jhtml Jean Shepard biography at CMT.com
Persondata | NAME =Shepard, Jean | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH =November 21, 1933 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Shepard, Jean Category:1933 births Category:Living people Category:American country singers Category:American country singer-songwriters Category:American female singers Category:People from Garvin County, Oklahoma Category:Musicians from Oklahoma Category:Grand Ole Opry members Category:Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame inductees Category:United Artists Records artists Category:Bakersfield sound
de:Jean Shepard es:Jean Shepard
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