Country Legends: Jean Shepard

Jean Shepard

Born Ollie Imogene Shepard in 1933, but better known as Jean Shepard, she became the first post-WW2 woman in country music to sell more than a million records. It was her very first hit and in a duet with Ferlin Huskey “A Dear John Letter” soared to the top of the charts in 1953 and became a smash hit worldwide.

In total Jean Shepard had 44 charted hits between 1953 and 1978 and has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry for more than 50 years where she still performs regularly.

   

Her music career began when she played bass as part of the Melody Ranch Girls, an all-female band formed in 1948.

Following on from “A Dear John Letter” she recorded “Forgive Me John”, also with Ferle Huskey, and this too became a major hit across the charts. As she was still only 20, and considered a minor, her parents had to sign her rights over to Huskey so she could go on tour and do promotions.

She recorded her first studio album “Songs of a Love Affair” , written by her, in 1955 and also had her first solo top ten single “A Satisfied Mind” in the same year. Later that year she also released a double sided hit with “Beautiful Lies and I thought of You”.

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 being the only others.

1960 saw Jean Shepard marry fellow Opry star Hawshaw Hawkins. Sadly he was to die three years later in the plane crash that also killed Patsy Cline and Cowboy Copas. She later married country music musician and singer Benny Birchfield and they remain married.

With the release of “Then He Touched Me” in 1969, followed by further top charting songs in the early 70’s  such as “Another Lonely Night”  her popularity seemed assured, but following “With His Hand in Mine” in 1971 her singles began to drop out of the top 40.

Jean 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".

In 2005, Jean Shepard celebrated 50 years as a member of the Opry and is the longest-living female member of the Opry to date.In 2011 JeanShepard was

inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

To get your hands on some classic Jean Shepard music just put her name in the search box to the right or if you prefer go to my website dedicated to her songs at www.jeanshepardcountryclassics.com