Jean Shepard was among the first women in country music to front her own tour and sing on topics that dealt frankly with love, helping pave the way for artists such as Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton.
Quick Facts About Ollie Imogene Shepard
Basic Info
- Full Names: Ollie Imogene Shepard
- Popular As: Jean Shepard
- Gender: Female
- Occupation: Musicians Entertainers — Country Singer
- Nationality: American
- Ethnicity: White
- Religion: Christianity
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
Birthday
- Date of Birth: 21/11/1933
- Place of Birth: Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, United States
Body Measurements
- Eye Color: Blue
- Hair Color: Blonde
Family and Relationship
- Father: Hoit A. Shepard
- Mother: Allie Mae Isaac Shepard
- Marital Status: Married
- Spouse: Benny Birchfield
- Children:
- Corey Birchfield (Son)
- Don Robin Hawkins (Son)
- Hawkshaw Hawkins Jr (Son)
Net Worth and Salary
- Net Worth: $18M USD
- Source of Income: Country Singer
Life and Career
- Awards:
- Favorite Female Country Artist (Billboard) — 1963
- Best Female Vocalist (Cash Box ) — 1964
- Top Female Vocalist – Albums and Singles (Cashbox) — 1967
- Is Deceased: Yes — Died on 09/25/2016
Jean Shepard Biography
Jean Shepard was an American Country Singer who was born and brought up in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, United States. She was considered one of the genre’s first significant female artists, and her commercial success ran from the 1950s to the 1970s while also being a member of the Grand Ole Opry for 60 years.
Having a musical upbringing, Shepard also formed an all-female country-music band, The Melody Ranch Girls. She was heard by country artist Hank Thompson, who helped her get her first recording contract at age 18 with Capitol Records.
Jean Shepard Age
Shepard was 82 years old at the time of her death, she was born on November 21, 1933, in Pauls Valley, OK, United States. She celebrated her birthday on November 21 every year, and her birth sign was Scorpio.
Jean Shepard Death
Shepard was later diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and became increasingly weakened by the illness. She entered hospice care in September 2016 and later died on September 25 in Gallatin, Tennessee, due to complications of Parkinson’s and heart disease. She was 82 years old.
Jean Shepard Height
Jean Shepard stood at an average height. He appeared to be quite tall in stature in his photos, relative to his surroundings, if anything to go by. However, details regarding his actual height are publicly not available. We will update this section once the information is available.
Jean Shepard Weight
Shepard had a moderate weight. His weight and other body measurements are publicly not available. We will update this section once the information is available.
Early Life and Education
Born on November 21, 1933, in Pauls Valley, OK, United States, Shepard played bass when Shepard was a teenager in the Melody Ranch Girls, an all-female band formed in 1948. Hank Thompson discovered Shepard a few years later. Shepard signed with Capitol Records in 1952 with the help of Thompson.
Following the success of Kitty Wells’ “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels”. Shepard cut four songs at her first session with popular band players Jimmy Bryant, Speedy West, Cliffie Stone, and Billy Strange. She recorded her first single for the label in 1952, “Crying Steel Guitar Waltz”, but it failed to chart.
Rise to Fame and Breakthrough Moment
- Shepard gained fame in 1955, when she had her first solo single top-10 successes with “I Thought of You”, “A Satisfied Mind”, and “Beautiful Lies”. During this period, she was among the first female country performers to headline shows and consistently be played on country music radio.
Personal Life
Jean Shepard Family, Parents
Shepard was born in Pauls Valley, OK, United States, as the daughter of Allie Mae Isaac (mother) and Shepard and Hoit A. Shepard (father), sharecroppers who raised cotton, sugarcane, and peanuts. Her father worked additional jobs, including sewing burlap sacks at the Paul’s Valley Alfalfa Mill. When she was three, the family moved to Hugo, Oklahoma, to be closer to her paternal grandparents.
Jean Shepard Siblings
Shepard had nine siblings.
Jean Shepard Husband
Shepard was married to Benny Birchfield, a musician, singer, and prominent member of Nashville’s music community. In 1960, she married fellow Opry star Hawkshaw Hawkins, who had come to the Opry the same year she did. She was eight months pregnant with his son when Hawkins died in the 1963 plane crash that also killed Patsy Cline and country star Cowboy Copas.
Jean Shepard Children
Shepard had three sons, namely Corey Birchfield, Don Robin Hawkins, and Hawkshaw Hawkins Jr.
Jean Shepard Net Worth
Jean Shepard had an estimated Net Worth of around $18 million. This included her assets, money, and income. Her primary source of income was her career as a Country Singer. Through her various sources of income, Jean has been able to accumulate a good fortune but prefered to lead a modest lifestyle.
Slippin’ Away
“Slippin’ Away” was a song written by American singer-songwriter Bill Anderson and was originally recorded by American country singer Jean Shepard. Inspired to write the song while watching an old film, Shepard chose to record the song to record and it was released as her first single for the United Artists label in 1973.
It became her first top ten US country song in several years and was issued on an album of the same name.
Songs
- Dear John Letter
- Slippin’ Away
- Second Fiddle
- Satisfied Mind
- Beautiful Lies
- Then He Touched Me
- I’ll Take The Dog
- Many Happy Hangovers to You
- If Teardrops Were Silver
- Heart, We Did All That We Could
- Poor Sweet Baby
- I Thought of You
- A Tear Dropped By
- Another Lonely Night
- I’ll Do Anything It Takes
- Tell Me What I Want to Hear
- Sad Singin’ and Slow Ridin’
- Two Whoops and a Holler
- Act Like a Married Man
- Girls in Disgrace
- Someone’s Gotta Cry
- I Learned It All From You
- Come on Phone
- You’re Calling Me Sweetheart Again
- Blanket on the Ground
- Twice the Lovin’
- A Passing Love Affair
- That’s What Lonesome Is
- Franklin County Moonshine
- Too Many Rivers
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