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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZSHEPARD, Jean(b Ollie Imogene Shepard, 21 November 1933, Paul's Valley OK; d 25 September 2016, Nashville TN) Country singer. There were eleven children in the family; they moved to the West Coast '46 and formed an all-girl western swing outfit the Melody Ranch Girls with the sisters, playing on same bill as Hank Thompson; he helped her to get a Capitol contract '52: her second single, a duet with Ferlin Husky, 'Dear John Letter' was a no. 1 country smash '53 (during the Korean War) and reached the top 5 of the pop chart. A follow-up was 'Forgive Me John'. Further hits were 'Satisfied Mind', 'Beautiful Lies' '55; she worked on the Red Foley Ozark Jubilee Show '55-7, then the Grand Ole Opry, wheree she was a member for 60 years. Her first album Songs Of A Love Affair '56 (reissued '87 on Stetson) was an early concept album, one side with songs from a single woman's point of view, the other from the wife's. She was married to Hawkshaw Hawkins, lost him '63 in the plane crash that also killed Patsy Cline and Cowboy Copas. She came back with more hits late '60s and through the '70s including duets with Ray Pillow '66-7; she was one of the first artists to be produced by Larry Butler '69, who later made crossover hits with Kenny Rogers: her 'Slippin' Away' '73 crossed over to the pop Hot 100, by which time she had switched to UA, retaining the association with Butler. Despite that association she soon became a vociferous champion of traditional country music, criticizing such acts as John Denver and Olivia Newton-John; since appearances at Wembley in the late '70s her traditional style was more popular in the UK than at home. There were many LPs on Capitol to '72; compilations on Power USA, EMI labels UK; on UA: Slippin' Away, Poor Sweet Baby, Mercy, Ain't Love Good, The Good Shepard '74-7; I'll Do Anything It Takes '78 on Sunset; also recorded on Scorpion '78, Starday-Gusto '81. Five-CD The Melody Ranch Girl on Bear Family compiled '52-64 Capitol sides. Her last album Dear John '81 on Laserlight was mainly remakes, with one new song, 'Too Many Rivers'. |