Jean Shepard | |
|---|---|
 Jean Shepard, 1952. | |
| Born | Ollie Imogene Shepard November 21, 1933 Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | September 25, 2016 (aged 82) Gallatin, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active | 1952–2015 |
| Works | Discography |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 3 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres |
|
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Labels |
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Ollie Imogene "Jean" Shepard (November 21, 1933 – September 25, 2016), was an American country singer who was considered by many writers and authors to be one of the genre's first significant female artists. Her early successes during the 1950s decade were said to influence the future careers of Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton and Tammy Wynette.
Shepard was born in Oklahoma but raised in California alongside her nine siblings. Having a musical upbringing, she formed an all-female country music band named The Melody Ranch Girls. During this period, she was heard by country artist Hank Thompson, who helped her get her first recording contract at age 18 with Capitol Records. Her second single with Ferlin Husky titled "A Dear John Letter" topped the country charts and reached the pop charts in 1953. In 1955, she had her first solo single top ten successes with "A Satisfied Mind", "I Thought of You" and "Beautiful Lies". During this period she was among the first female performers to headline shows and consistently be played on country music radio.
In 1963, Shepard's husband Hawkshaw Hawkins was killed in a plane crash. Considering ending her career, Shepard ultimately returned and in 1964 had her first top ten single in nine years with "Second Fiddle (To an Old Guitar)". She had 15 more top 40 US country singles during the decade, including the top ten recordings "If Teardrops Were Silver", "I'll Take the Dog" and "Then He Touched Me". With a dip in commercial success, Shepard became frustrated with Capitol's lack of promotion to her material and moved to United Artists Records. In 1973, she had a comeback at age 40 with the top ten song "Slippin' Away". Four more of her singles reached the US country top 20 during the 1970s.
Shepard became part of the Association of Country Entertainers (ACE) in the 1970s, which advocated for traditional country music. Her criticism of the genre's pop trends ultimately cost Shepard her recording contract from United Artists and she filed for bankruptcy during this time as well. Despite this, Shepard continued touring and became a popular attraction in European countries such as the UK and Germany. She continued sporadically recording as well, releasing her last studio album in 2000. Shepard also continued performing as a member of the Grand Ole Opry, whose cast she joined in 1955. In 2011, she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and continued performing through 2015.
- ^ Shepard 2014, p. 56-58.
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