Norma Jean Beasler (b. January 30, 1938), better known as
Norma Jean, is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country musicCountry music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains...
singer who was a member of
The Porter Wagoner Show from 1961–1967. She had a number of country singles in the Top 10 and Top 20 between 1963 and 1967, including "Let's Go All the Way" and "The Game of Triangles," and was instrumental in opening doors for other female country singers. She is a former member of the
Grand Ole OpryThe Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music radio program and concert broadcast live on WSM radio in Nashville, Tennessee, every Friday and Saturday night, as well as Tuesdays and Thursdays from March through December...
.
Norma Jean Beasler was born January 30, 1938 in
Wellston, OklahomaWellston is a town in Lincoln County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 825 at the 2000 census.- History :Wellston was named by Christian T. Wells, who established a trading post on the site in 1883...
, and grew up admiring country singer
Kitty WellsEllen Muriel Deason , known professionally as Kitty Wells, is an American country music singer. Her 1952 hit recording, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels," made her the first female country singer to top the U.S. country charts, and turned her into the first female country star...
, who she considers her biggest influence.
Norma Jean Beasler (b. January 30, 1938), better known as
Norma Jean, is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country musicCountry music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains...
singer who was a member of
The Porter Wagoner Show from 1961–1967. She had a number of country singles in the Top 10 and Top 20 between 1963 and 1967, including "Let's Go All the Way" and "The Game of Triangles," and was instrumental in opening doors for other female country singers. She is a former member of the
Grand Ole OpryThe Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music radio program and concert broadcast live on WSM radio in Nashville, Tennessee, every Friday and Saturday night, as well as Tuesdays and Thursdays from March through December...
.
Early life and rise to fame
Norma Jean Beasler was born January 30, 1938 in
Wellston, OklahomaWellston is a town in Lincoln County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 825 at the 2000 census.- History :Wellston was named by Christian T. Wells, who established a trading post on the site in 1883...
, and grew up admiring country singer
Kitty WellsEllen Muriel Deason , known professionally as Kitty Wells, is an American country music singer. Her 1952 hit recording, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels," made her the first female country singer to top the U.S. country charts, and turned her into the first female country star...
, who she considers her biggest influence. She got her start performing on radio stations in the
Oklahoma CityOklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
area; and by age 12, she had her own radio show on
KLPR-AMKRMP is a Urban Adult Contemporary/Talk radio station in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The station is owned by The Perry Broadcasting Company.-History:...
. She toured Oklahoma with various bands, starting with
Merl LindsayMerle Lindsay Salathiel , better known as Merl Lindsay, was one of the premier American Western swing musicians from the 1930s to the mid-1960s and founder of Merl Lindsay and His Oklahoma Night Riders.-Biography:...
and His Oklahoma Night Riders at age 16, followed by the Bill Gray Band at 18. Norma was the Bill Gray Band's full-time vocalist, and made guest appearances with major country stars. Early on, she befriended soon-to-be country star
Wanda JacksonWanda Lavonne Jackson is an American singer and guitarist who had success in the mid-1950s and 60s as one of the first popular female rockabilly singers and a pioneering rock and roll artist...
.
In 1955, she got a regular spot on the
ABC-TVThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
show
Ozark JubileeOzark Jubilee was the first U.S. network television program to feature country music's top stars, and arguably the centerpiece of a strategy for Springfield, Missouri to supplant Nashville, Tennessee as America's country music capital...
in
Springfield, MissouriSpringfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is the county seat of Greene County. On July 1, 2008, the estimated population was 156,206. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 426,144, is ranked 114th in the U.S., includes the counties of Christian, Dallas,...
, where she stayed for two years and received national exposure. Host
Red FoleyClyde Julian Foley , better known as Red Foley, was an American singer, musician, and radio and TV personality who made a major contribution to the growth of country music after World War II....
suggested calling her simply Norma Jean, and she made it official in 1958; she also became known on the program as
Pretty Miss Norma Jean. She met
Porter WagonerPorter Wayne Wagoner was a popular American country music singer known for his flashy Nudie and Manuel suits and blond pompadour. He introduced a young Dolly Parton on his long-running television show, and they were a well-known duet team throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s...
on the show, and in 1959, signed a recording contract with
Columbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label founded in 1888.Columbia is the oldest surviving brand name in pre-recorded sound, being the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders. Columbia Records went on to release records by an array of notable singers,...
. A string of unsuccessful singles followed, and she moved to
Nashville, TennesseeNashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is the second most populous city in the state after Memphis. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state...
where Wagoner invited her to audition for his syndicated weekly TV program,
The Porter Wagoner Show. She became a regular on the show in 1961 and stayed for six years.
Jean toured and performed across the country with Wagoner, and RCA producer
Chet AtkinsChester Burton Atkins , better known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who created, along with Owen Bradley, the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.His picking style, inspired by...
signed her to a recording contract with
RCA RecordsRCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1983 and a partner from 1983 to 1986.-The RCA family of labels:RCA is the name of three different co-owned record...
.
Success in the 1960s
In 1963, Norma Jean released her first single with RCA, "Let's Go All the Way." The song peaked at number 11 on the
Billboard country charts. She released an album of the same name which spawned two more Top 40 hits, "I'm a Walking Advertisement (For the Blues)" followed by "Put Your Arm Around Her." Because of the singles' success, she was invited to join the
Grand Ole OpryThe Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music radio program and concert broadcast live on WSM radio in Nashville, Tennessee, every Friday and Saturday night, as well as Tuesdays and Thursdays from March through December...
.
In late 1965, she released an album titled,
Pretty Miss Norma Jean. It was the most successful of her career, hitting number three on the Top Country Albums list. The first single from the album, "Go Cat Go," became a Top 10 hit, peaking at number eight. Two more singles were released, starting with "I Cried All the Way to the Bank," which also proved successful. After that, "I Wouldn't Buy a Used Car From Him," written by
Harlan HowardHarlan Perry Howard was a prolific American songwriter, principally in country music. In a career spanning six decades Harlan Howard wrote a large number of popular and enduring songs, recorded by a variety of different artists...
, was another Top 10 hit, making her one of the most popular female country singers of the era. Fans appreciated the humor implicit in some of her recordings.
From 1965 to 1967, Norma Jean produced a series of solid country singles and albums and continued to appear on Wagoner's show. On television she projected a wholesome image, singing hurting and cheating songs relevant to her personal life.
Norma's biggest hit came in 1966. It was an unusual recording with
Bobby BareBobby Bare is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is the father of Bobby Bare, Jr., also a musician.-Early career:...
and
Liz AndersonLiz Anderson is an American Country Music Singer-Songwriter. She is also the mother of singer Lynn Anderson....
, "The Game of Triangles," a wife-husband-other woman drama that hit number five on the
Billboard chart and earned the trio a
GrammyThe Grammy Awards —or Grammys—are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry...
nomination.
Norma Jean left Wagoner's show in 1967 after marrying Jody Taylor (whom she later divorced) and was replaced by newcomer
Dolly PartonDolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best-known for her work in country music....
, who went on to become one of country music's leading female stars. Parton said later she had a hard time replacing Norma because she was so loved by country fans.
That year, her single, "Heaven Help the Working Girl" (an early feminist song) was a Top 20 hit, the last one of her career. Despite a lack of major country hits, her albums continued to sell, like 1967's
Jackson Ain't a Very Big Town, which peaked at number 11 on the "Top Country Albums" list.
Later career and life today
Norma Jean moved back to her home state of Oklahoma and charted her last record, "The Kind of Needin' I Need," in 1971 and soon left RCA Records. In later years, she struggled with
alcoholismAlcoholism is a term with multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions. In common and historic usage, alcoholism is any condition that results in the continued consumption of alcoholic beverages, despite health problems and negative social consequences...
, then committed herself to
ChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented by the revelations in the New Testament....
. She inched back into the music industry in the 1980s with a few recordings and personal appearances; and made a minor chart appearance with
Claude GrayClaude Gray is an American country music singer-songwriter and guitar picker best known for his 1960 hit "Family Bible," which has been covered by many different artists.-Early life:...
with a remake of her 1963 hit, "Let's Go All the Way."
In recent years, she has been associated with
Cowboy ChurchCowboy Churches are local Christian churches within the cowboy culture that are distinctively Western heritage in character. A typical cowboy church may meet in a rural setting in a barn, metal building, arena, sale barn, or old western building, have its own rodeo arena, and a country gospel...
in
Branson, MissouriBranson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named for Rueben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s. Branson is a popular destination for vacationers from Missouri and the surrounding states. The population was 6,050 at the 2000 census...
. She released her first album of new music in 15 years in 2005,
The Loneliest Star in Texas. This album contains a biographical song titled, "Pretty Miss Norma Jean," written by singer and performer
Debbie HortonDebbie Horton is an American guitarist, DJ and songwriter who is the only woman to have ever played lead guitar for Johnny Cash.-Involvement with Johnny Cash:...
from
Branson On The Road and recorded by Wanda Jackson. Her accomplishments include performing at New York's
Carnegie HallCarnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
and
Madison Square GardenMadison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, has been the name of four arenas in New York City. It is also the name of the entity which owns the arena and several of the professional sports franchises which play there. There have been four incarnations of...
. She has not been a member of the Grand Ole Opry since returning to Oklahoma in the late 1960s. She is married to Al Martin.
Albums
| Year |
Album |
US Country |
| 1964 |
The Porter Wagoner Show (with Porter Wagoner Porter Wayne Wagoner was a popular American country music singer known for his flashy Nudie and Manuel suits and blond pompadour. He introduced a young Dolly Parton on his long-running television show, and they were a well-known duet team throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s...
) |
13 |
| Let's Go All the Way |
— |
| 1965 |
The Country's Favorite |
— |
| 1966 |
Pretty Miss Norma Jean |
3 |
| Please Don't Hurt Me |
8 |
| Norma Jean Sings a Tribute to Kitty Wells |
23 |
| 1967 |
The Game of Triangles (with Bobby Bare Bobby Bare is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is the father of Bobby Bare, Jr., also a musician.-Early career:...
and Liz AndersonLiz Anderson is an American Country Music Singer-Songwriter. She is also the mother of singer Lynn Anderson....
) |
18 |
| Norma Jean Sings Porter Wagoner |
19 |
| Jackson Ain't a Very Big Town |
11 |
| 1968 |
Heaven's Just a Prayer Away |
44 |
| Body and Mind |
37 |
| Heaven Help the Working Girl |
— |
| 1969 |
Love's a Woman's Job |
39 |
| Country Giants |
36 |
| The Best of Norma Jean |
26 |
| 1970 |
Another Man Loved Me Last Night |
— |
| It's Time for Norma Jean |
45 |
| 1971 |
Norma Jean |
— |
| Thanks to You for Lovin' Me |
— |
| 1972 |
Norma Jean Sings Hank Cochran |
— |
| I Guess That Comes from Being Poor |
— |
| 1973 |
The Only Way To Hold Your Man |
— |
| It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels |
— |
| 1983 |
Pretty Miss Norma Jean |
— |
| 1988 |
My Best to You |
— |
| 1990 |
One Day at a Time |
— |
| 20 Country Classics |
— |
| 1996 |
First Ladies of Country (with Melba Montgomery Melba Montgomery is an American country music singer. She is best known for duet hit recordings in the 1960s, with legendary country music singer, George Jones....
) |
— |
| 1999 |
The Best of Norma Jean |
— |
| 2005 |
The Loneliest Star in Texas |
— |
Singles
| Year |
Single |
US Country |
Album |
| 1963 |
"Let's Go All the Way" |
11 |
Let's Go All the Way |
| 1964 |
"I'm a Walkin' Advertisement (For the Blues)" |
32 |
| "Put Your Arms Around Her" |
25 |
| "Go Cat Go" |
8 |
Pretty Miss Norma Jean |
| 1965 |
"I Cried All the Way to the Bank" |
21 |
| "I Wouldn't Buy a Used Car From Him" |
8 |
| "You're Drivin' Me Out of My Mind" |
41 |
Please Don't Hurt Me |
| "Then Go Home to Her" |
48 |
| 1966 |
"Shirt" |
28 |
| "Pursuing Happiness" |
28 |
"The Game of Triangles"
(with Liz AndersonLiz Anderson is an American Country Music Singer-Songwriter. She is also the mother of singer Lynn Anderson....
and Bobby BareBobby Bare is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is the father of Bobby Bare, Jr., also a musician.-Early career:...
) |
5 |
The Game of Triangles
(with Liz Anderson and Bobby Bare) |
| "Don't Let the Doorknob Hit You" |
28 |
Jackson Ain't a Very Big Town |
| 1967 |
"Heaven Help the Working Girl" |
18 |
Heaven Help the Working Girl |
| "Jackson Ain't a Very Big Town" |
38 |
| 1968 |
"Truck Drivin' Woman" |
53 |
With Body and Mind |
| "You Changed Everything About Me But My Name" |
35 |
Love's a Woman's Job |
| "One Man Band" |
61 |
Single only |
| 1969 |
"Dusty Road" |
44 |
Country Giants |
| 1970 |
"Whiskey Six Years Old" |
48 |
It's Time for Norma Jean |
| 1971 |
"Kind of Needin' I Need" |
42 |
Thanks to You for Lovin' Me |
| 1982 |
"Let's Go All the Way" (with Claude Gray) |
68 |
Single only |
External links