What is Jean Shepard?

Jean Shepard (b. Ollie Imogene Shepard November 21, 1933 in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma) is an American Country Music Singer and Songwriter. Jean Shepard was one of Country music's first major female stars to come to fame. Along with Kitty Wells, Jean Shepard proved to male-dominated Nashville, Tennessee that women could indeed sell a large number of records. For twenty years, she remained a notable figure on the Country charts, having her first major hit in 1953, and having her last in 1976. Her biggest hits include, "A Dear John Letter" (with Ferlin Husky), "A Satisfied Mind", "Beautiful Lies", and "Slippin' Away".

Jean Shepard has often been called the pre-Loretta Lynn of her time, for her boisterous attitude when it came to singing and performing. Many music critics adored her firm voice, that gave a sharp edge to much of the material she sang. She was one of the first female Country singers to become quite successful in the 1950s, helping women assert themselves in the male-dominated Country Music field. Although to most people she looked like the girl next door, but really in truth, Shepard was a strong and boisterous woman, that wouldn't let a man stand in her way. Although she didn't write much of her material throughout the years, she later said she did make the material her very own. For twenty years, she was one of Country Music's most successful and best-selling artists.

Early life & rise to fame

Jean was born Ollie Imogene Shepard in Paul's Valley, Oklahoma and was one of ten children. Music was a very important part of the family's life. During World War II, her and her family moved out west in search of a better life for themselves. They ended up settling in Visalia, California, in the center of the state. The city surrounded the town of Bakersfield, California, the town which established a genre of Country music entitled, the Bakersfield Sound, which would help launch Shepard's music career. In high school, Shepard formed a band called "The Melody Ranch Girls". They developed quite a following and became locally famous. Bandleader at the time, Hank Thompson heard Shepard and "The Melody Ranch Girls", one night at "Noble's Melody Ranch". She played with Thompson and his band.

Thanks to Thompson, Shepard was able to acquire a record deal with Capitol Records, which produced a string of Country hits, which would last 20 years.

The height of her career in the 50s, 60s, & early 70s

The Capitol years - a female country star innovator in the 50s

While under Capitol, Shepard cut a lot of Honky Tonk material, some of which were released as singles to the Country charts, like 1952's "Twice the Lovin' (In Half the Time)", however, the song, amomg other singles failed to chart the Country lists. In 1953, Shepard made her first chart appearance with Ferlin Husky, another California-based Country act. Together their song, "A Dear John Letter", a half-spoken duet about the Korean War, hit No. 1 on the Country charts in 1953, and spent a number of weeks at the Top of the charts, and was Shepard's only chart-topper. As well as hitting the Country charts, the song ended up being a surprising Pop hit, reaching No. 4 on the Pop charts as well. The song launched the careers of both artists. Together the duet team, released another single, titled "Forgive Me John", an answer song to their No. 1 hit, which was another major Country hit. Together the duo toured following the success of their hit singles.

Shepard made her first chart appearance as a solo act in 1955, with the release of the single, "Beautiful Lies". The song hit No. 4 on the Country charts that year, and turned Shepard into a solo star overnight. The song was backed by the single, "Take Possession", which was another major hit that year, reaching No. 13. That year, Shepard enjoyed two other Top 10 Country hits, one of which entitled, "A Satisfied Mind", which also hit No. 4 on the Country charts that year. Other versions of the song by Red Foley and Porter Wagoner were Country hits around the same time, but Shepard's version was the only version by a female artists. Soon, Shepard was living in Missouri, and was working along with Red Foley on the Ozark Jubilee show. Thanks to Shepard's success in 1955, she was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. She accepted the offer and today remains a member. During the beginning of her success in 1955, Shepard was only one of three females to make it big as a Country singer (Kitty Wells and Goldie Hill were the other two). Her entrance as a Country star around this time, influenced many future female stars, including Patsy Cline, Skeeter Davis, Loretta Lynn, and Tammy Wynette.

For the rest of the decade, Shepard's chart success wasan't as successful, releaing only two Top 40 hits, for the rest of the decade. One of them, released in 1958 called "I Want to Go Where No One Knows Me" hit No. 18. Another Top 40 hit, released in 1959, only hit No. 30. In 1959, Shepard was named the "Top Female Singer" by Cashbox magazine, equivalent to the CMA's "Female Vocalist of the Year" award given out today.

The Capitol years - a female country star in the 60s

By 1960, none of Shepard's music was breaking through to the public. This was primarily because she was a hardcore honky tonk singer in a time that country-pop was ruling the charts. ^[1] Despite a dry period in her career, Shepard continued to remain a popular touring act and an Opyr star. In 1960, Shepard also married fellow Opry star, Hawkshaw Hawkins, who was later killed in the same plane crash that killed Country legends Cowboy Copas and Patsy Cline. Shepard befriended Cline on the Opry while she was alive. In 1964, Shepard's music finally caught fire again, with the release of the single, "Second Fiddle to An Old Guitar". The song in its two minute entirety hit No. 5 on the Country charts in 1964, and brought Shepard back as a Country star. Thanks to the song's success, Shepard had a string of hits during the decade, most of which hit the Top 40, and some occasionally even hit the Top 10, like 1966's "If the Teardrops Were Silver", and 1968's "I'll Take the Dog" (a duet with Ray Pillow). Other hits by Shepard hit the Top 20, like 1967's "Heart We Did All We Could", which hit No. 12 that year and 1969's remake of "Seven Lonely Days, which hit No. 18.

While entering a new decade (1970s), Shepard continued to have major Country hits. While her other counterparts were already off the Country charts (Kitty Wells and Goldie Hill), Shepard showed no sign of slowing down. Her biggest hit of 1970 was the risky and controversial, "Then He Touched Me" which hit No. 8. Shepard stayed under Capitol until 1973, lasting over 20 years under the same record company, an oddity for any major recording artist.

The United Artists years - "Slippin' Away"

In 1973, Shepard moved over to United Artists Records, the future home of many Country-Pop crossover acts, including Kenny Rogers. A song from one of Shepard's first sessions entitled "Slippin' Away" was a surprising Country hit. The song was released in 1973, and hit the Country Top 5 at No. 4, her first Top 5 hit since the early 1960s. The thoroughly country song was a surprise modest crossover music success, peaking at No. 55 on the Billboard Hot 100, ironic since Shepard was a leader in the "keep in country" movement and had pubicly criticized the Pop influences in Country music, serving as the president of the Association of Country Entertainers or ACE, a short-lived organization founded mainly due to the Country Music Association's awarding several major honors in 1974 and 1975 to pop-based acts and country radio's similar embrace of such artists, like in 1974 when Olivia Newton-John won CMA's Female Vocalist of the Year or when John Denver won CMA's Male Vocalist of the Year. Overall, the song is identified with Shepard as being one of signature songs.

After the success of "Slippin' Away" came a number of follow-up hits that entered the Top 20 between 1974 and 1975. These hits include, "At the Time" (1974), "Poor Sweet Baby" (1975), "I'll Do Anything It Takes (To Stay With You)" (1974), and a remake of "The Tip of My Fingers" (1975). "The Tip of My Fingers" was Shepard's last Top 20 hit as well as her last Top 40 entry into the U.S. Country charts. Other singles and albums released after 1975, failed to gain succcess for Shepard. Shepard's last charted single came in 1978 with "The Real Thing".

Later career & life today

Towards the end of the mid 1970s, Jean's successes began to gradually trail off as her style of singing became old-fashioned to some and many female artists in country had switched over to pop oriented music. Shepard made her last appearance on the national charts in 1978 but she has remained a highly active entertainer at the Opry, occasionally touring, and recording with several recent CD releases on smaller labels that show her in still fine voice in her seventies. To this day, Jean Shepard is known as the "Grand Lady of the Grand Ole Opry". She has toured in Europe and Canada. Today, she still remains an active member of the Grand Ole Opry. In many years, she has been an influence on many Country artists. For many years, Shepard has been married to musician Benny Birchfield, and continues a busy touring schedule, despite being in her seventies. Her touring show titled, "The Jean Shepard Show" has toured all over the country, and still performs at the Grand Ole Opry on occasion. Most recently in 2005, Shepard celebrated her 50th anniversary at the Grand Ole Opry.

In 2006, she re-entered the Country spotlight with a brand-new album called This Has Been Your Life.

Career milestones

• She was the first female Country singer to overdub her records.
• She was the first female Country singer to make a colored TV-commercial.

Discography

Charted singles

Year	Single	Chart Positions		Album
		US Pop Singles	US Country Singles
1953	"A Dear John Letter" (with Ferlin Husky)	4	1	A Dear John Letter
1955	"Beautiful Lies"	-	4	This Is Jean Shepard
1955	"Take Possession"	-	13	This Is Jean Shepard
1955	"A Satisfied Mind"	-	4	This Is Jean Shepard
1955	"I Thought of You"	-	10	This Is Jean Shepard
1958	"I Want to Go Where No One Knows Me"	-	18	The Melody Ranch Girl
1959	"Have Heart, Will Love"	-	30	The Melody Ranch Girl
1964	"Second Fiddle (To An Old Guitar)"	-	5	Dear John
1965	"Someone's Gotta Cry'	-	30	The Melody Ranch Girl
1965	"A Tear Dropped By'	-	38	The Melody Ranch Girl
1966	"I'll Take the Dog" (with Ray Pillow)	-	9	I'll Take the Dog (with Ray Pillow)
1966	"Many Happy Hangovers to You"	-	13	Many Happy Hangovers to You
1966	"If Teardrops Were Silver"	-	10	Many Happy Hangovers to You
1967	"Heart, We Did All We Could"	-	12	Heart, We Did All We Could
1967	"Your Forevers Don't Last Very Long"	-	16	Heart, we Did All We Could
1968	"A Real Good Woman"	-	36	A Real Good Woman
1968	"An Old Bridge"	-	52	A Real Good Woman
1969	"Seven Lonely Days"	-	18	Seven Lonely Days
1970	"Then He Touched Me"	-	8	Another Lonely Night
1970	"Another Lonely Night"	-	12	Another Lonely Night
1973	"Slippin' Away"	55	4	Slippin' Away
1974	"Come on Phone"	-	36	Slippin' Away
1974	"I'll Do Anything It Takes (To Stay With You)"	-	17	I'll Do Anything It Takes
1975	"Poor Sweet Baby'	-	14	Poor Sweet Baby (And Other Bill Anderson Songs)
1975	"The Tip of My Fingers"	-	16	Poor Sweet Baby (And Other Bill Anderson Songs)
1975	"I'm a Believer (In a Whole Lot of Lovin')"	-	49	I'm a Believer
1976	"Another Neon Light"	-	44	I'm a Believer
1976	"Mercy'	-	49	Mercy, Ain't Love Good
1976	"Ain't Love Good"	-	41	Mercy, Ain't Love Good
1978	"The Real Thing"	-	85	(Single Only)

Albums

Year	Album	U.S. Country Albums
1956	Songs of a Love Affair	-
1959	Lonesome Love	-
1959	This Is Jean Shepard	-
1961	Got You On My Mind	-
1962	Heartaches and Tears	-
1964	Lighthearted and Blue	17
1965	It's a Man Everytime	19
1966	I'll Take the Dog	11
1966	Many happy Hangovers	6
1967	Heart, We Did All That We Could	18
1968	A Real Good Woman	32
1968	Heart to Heart	43
1969	Seven Lonely Days	42
1970	Best By Request	23
1973	Slippin' Away	15
1974	I'll Do Anything It Takes	21
1975	Poor Sweet Baby and Ten Other Bill Anderson Songs	42
1976	Mercy, Ain't Love Good	37
1981	Dear John	-
2006	This Has Been Your Life	-

References

External links

• CMT.com:Jean Shepard
• Jean Shepard At Enormous Records.com
• Jean Shepard At Opry.com