From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Thu Nov 21, 2002  6:16 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Jean Shepard
 
JEAN SHEPARD (By Shaun Mather)

Born Ollie Imogene Shepard, 21 November, 1933, Pauls Valley, Oklahoma

Jean Shepard is one of the leading female country singers in history. Jim
Reeves was quoted as saying about her, "all the girl singers should sound
like Jean Shepard. She always hits her notes, holds them and wraps them
around an audience like nobody else can".
Although born in rural Oklahoma, she mainly grew up in Visalia, California,
one of ten children, all of whom were musically inclined. In her early teens,
Jean helped form and become the lead singer in an all girl band called
The Melody Ranch Girls". During one of their early performances they
appeared on a bill with the Hank Thompson, who was impressed enough to
arrange a recording contract for Shepard with Capitol Records. It was a
fruitful relationship which lasted for over 20 years and saw her regularly
hit the top of the country charts. It started with a duet with Ferlin Huskey
called "A Dear John Letter" and its sequel, "Forgive Me John" (both 1953).
Other biggies followed : "Beautiful Lies", "Many Happy Hangovers", "Seven
Lonely Days", "Then He Touched Me", "Satisfied Mind" and "Second Fiddle".
In 1956 she recorded the first ever country concept album (all self-written),
Songs of a Love Affair.
Tragedy struck on March 5, 1963 when her husband, hillbilly singer Hawkshaw
Hawkins was killed in the same plane crash as Patsy Cline and Cowboy Copas.
Shepard was pregnant with their child at the time of the crash, and named
the son after his father.
In the early 70's she joined United Artists Records where she scored further
hits with "Slippin Away", "Poor Sweet Baby", "At The Time" and "The Tip of
My Fingers". She has continued to perform live and has been a regular on the
Grand Ole Opry since 1955.
The recently deceased producer/writer Joe Allison summed up her talents
thus : "if you took all the good points of all the girl singers and wrapped
them up in one package, you would have Jean Shepard".

Recommended listening:
Honky Tonk Heroine - Country Music Foundation
The Melody Ranch Girl - Bear Family 5CD