Jan Howard
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| Jan Howard | ||
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 Jan Howard current photo.
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| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Lula Grace Johnson | |
| Also known as | Jan Howard | |
| Born | March 13, 1930 | |
| Origin | West Plains, Missouri | |
| Genre(s) | Country | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, Songwriter | |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals | |
| Years active | 1960-Present | |
| Label(s) | Challenge Records Challenge Records Decca Records |
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| Associated acts |
Bill Anderson, Wynn Stewart, Jeannie Seely, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn | |
| Website | Jan Howard Official Site | |
Jan Howard (born Lula Grace Johnson on March 13, 1930 in West Plains, Missouri) is an American Country Music Singer. In the 1960s, Jan Howard was one of Country Music's most successful, as well as one of their trailblazing female vocalists. She get's her last name, Howard from her former husband, who is the popular songwriter Harlan Howard.
Jan Howard has had a few Country Music hits, like "Evil On Your Mind", "Bad Seed", "For Loving You", and "Dis-Satisfied". Since 1971, she has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
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[edit] Early Life & Rise to Fame
Jan Howard, one of Country Music's most successful female singers of the 1960s has had what she later called a difficult life, overcoming many obstacles throughout the year. She was born Lula Grace Johnson in West Plains, Missouri in 1930 and was one of eight children. Her family was poor, but was bale to maintain a farm. She attended a one-room schoolhouse, wearing homeade clothing. At only age 15, she married, and soon had children. However, three of her children died before she turned twenty. After dealing with two unsuccessful marriages, Howard moved out to Los Angeles, California, where she met aspiring songwriter Harlan Howard. The result of their meeting led to a marriage in Las Vegas just one month later. One evening though, Jan was washing dishes in her kitchen. While she was watching dishes, she was singing and Harlan heard her sing for the very first time, and liked what he heard. He thought Jan had talent and wanted her to become a Country Music singer.
Harlan persuaded Jan to make a demo tape of one of the songs he wrote called "Mommy For a Day". The song would later be a big hit for Kitty Wells. She soon worked as a demo singer for her husband, singing demos for other Country artists, like Buck Owens and Tex Ritter. It was Jan Howard who originally sang the demo for the Patsy Cline hit "I Fall to Pieces".
In 1959, she made her debut as a recording artist backed by Wynn Stewart's band. She recorded her first song that year called "Yankee Go Home", along with the Harlan Howard composition, "Pick Me Up on Your Way Down" (which was once recorded by Patsy Cline).
[edit] The Height of Her Career
Her first singles failed to make an impact in 1959. It wasn't until 1960, she had her first significant hit with the song "The One You Slip Around With". The song made the Country Top 20 that year, and turned Howard into a major Country star. That same year, the Howards moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and Jan made her debut on the Grand Ole Opry.
Jan Howard befriended many singers on the Opry. One of them she befriended was Patsy Cline, who Howard later claimed inspired her career greatly.
In 1960, Howard won the award from Billboard Magazine for Most Promising Country Female Artist in 1960. Between 1961 and 1963, she wasn't on the charts, but in 1963, she returned back into spotlight with a 40 hit, "I Wish I Was a Single Girl Again". She toured extensively through this time. In 1964, she signed a contract with Decca Records, and had a Top 40 hit the next year, with "What Makes a Man Wander". It wasn't until 1966 though that Howard's success really caught fire, after she had a major Country hit called "Evil On Your Mind". The song made the Top 5 that year, and one of Howard's signature songs. Its follow-up "Bad Seed" was a Top 10 hit in 1966. A lot of the songs Jan sung at the time, reflected her troubled marriage with Harlan Howard. It all ended in divorce in 1968.
During this time, Jan teamed up with Country singer Bill Anderson to record a series of duet singles and albums together. With Bill Anderson, Howard had her biggest success as a Country artist, starting in 1966 with the Top 40 hit "I Know You're Married (But I Love You Still)". In 1967, the duo reached #1 on the Country charts with the song "For Loving You". The song was Howard's first and only #1 record, and the song spent 4 weeks at #1. Together they had two other major hits, "Dis-Satisfied" and "Someday We'll Be Together".
Jan Howard was not just a singer, but also an experienced songwriter. In 1966, she wrote the Kitty Wells hit "It's All Over But the Crying", and in 1970 she wrote the Bill Anderson hit "Love Is a Sometimes Thing". Together, Bill and Jan wrote the 1970 Connie Smith hit "I Never Once Stopped Loving You". Jan also co-wrote "Dis-Satisfied" with her son Carter. Her favorite composition Howard wrote was about her son, called simply "My Son". She dreamed in 1968 that her son, who was fighting in the Vietnam War, would be killed in battle, which later came true. She pleaded that her son would return home, but he sadly died that year. The song "My Son", was a Top 15 Country hit in 1969. Four years after her son's death, Howard's other son, David committed suicide. Throughout her career, Howard has been nominated for countless Grammy awards and CMA awards, but has yet to win either. Jan Howard placed 30 singles on Billboard's Country Music charts between 1960 and 1978. She had a couple minor hits in 1978, including the song "To Love a Rolling Stone". The previous year, she joined The Johnny Cash Show. In 1979, Howard and Tammy Wynette, went on a tour throughout the United States and Great Britain.
[edit] Later Career & Life Today
Since March 27, 1971, Jan Howard has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry. She has been a regular performer on the show for over thirty years. She has also opened many doors for other Country Music artists. She has toured every state in the United States, as has alos toured in 21 foreign countries. She has also appeared on The Today Show, Family Feud, and Hee Haw. In 1984, Howard released the album Tainted Love, and that same year Howard published her best-selling autobiography titled "Sunshine and Shadow".
In 1990, Jan Howard re-married. In 2005, Jan was inducted into the Missouri Country Music Hall of Fame. Most recently, she has released a box set called Through the Years.
In 2002, Howard made her acting debut in the feature film "Changing Hearts" starring Faye Dunaway.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Hit Singles
| Year | Single | U.S. Country Singles | Album | |
| 1960 | "The One You Slip Around With" | #13 | Jan Howard | |
| 1960 | "Wrong Company" (with Wynn Stewart) | #26 | Jan Howard and Wynn Stewart: Duets | |
| 1963 | "I Wish I Was a Single Girl Again" | #27 | Swingest: Vol. 1 Bakersfield | |
| 1965 | "What Makes a Man Wander" | #25 | Evil On Your Mind | |
| 1966 | "Evil On Your Mind" | #5 | Evil On Your Mind | |
| 1966 | "Bad Seed" | #10 | Bad Seed | |
| 1966 | "I Know You're Married (But I Love You Still)" (with Bill Anderson) | #29 | If It's All the Same to You | |
| 1967 | "Any Old Way You Do" | #32 | This Is Jan Howard Country | |
| 1967 | "Roll Over and Play Dead" | #26 | This Is Jan Howard Country | |
| 1967 | "For Loving You" (with Bill Anderson) | #1 | For Loving You | |
| 1968 | "Count Your Blessings, Woman" | #16 | Count Your Blessings, Woman | |
| 1968 | "I Still Believe In Love" | #27 | Count Your Blessings, Woman | |
| 1969 | "My Son" | #15 | Jan Howard | |
| 1969 | "When We Tried" | #24 | Jan Howard | |
| 1969 | "We Had All The Good Things Going" | #20 | Rock Me Back To Little Rock | |
| 1970 | "If It's All The Same To You" (with Bill Anderson) | #2 | If It's All The Same To You | |
| 1970 | "Rock Me Back To Little Rock" | #26 | Rock Me Back To Little Rock | |
| 1970 | "Someday We'll Be Together" (with Bill Anderson) | #5 | Bill and Jan or Jan and Bill | |
| 1971 | "Dis-Satisfied" (with Bill Anderson) | #4 | Bill and Jan or Jan and Bill | |
| 1972 | "Love Is Like A Spinning Wheel" | #36 | Love Is Like A Spinning Wheel | |
| 1972 | "Let Him Have It" | #43 | Love Is Like A Spinning Wheel |
[edit] Albums
| Year | Album | U.S. Country Albums | |
| 1962 | Jan Howard | - | |
| 1962 | Sweet and Sentimental | - | |
| 1966 | Evil On Your Mind | #10 | |
| 1966 | Bad Seed | #13 | |
| 1967 | This Is Jan Howard Country | #9 | |
| 1968 | For Loving You (with Bill Anderson) | #6 | |
| 1968 | Count Your Blessings Woman | #27 | |
| 1969 | Jan Howard | #25 | |
| 1970 | For God and Country | - | |
| 1970 | If It's All the Same to You (with Bill Anderson) | #25 | |
| 1970 | Rock Me Back to Little Rock | #42 | |
| 1972 | Bill and Jan or Jan and Bill (with Bill Anderson) | #9 | |
| 1972 | Love Is Like a Spinning Wheel | #40 | |
| 1972 | Singing His Praise (with Bill Anderson) | - | |
| 1975 | Sincerely | - | |
| 1981 | Stars of the Grand Ole Opry | - | |
| 1985 | Jan Howard | - |
[edit] Chart Records
(Title, Label, Issue number, Date.
Selections denoted (*) are duets with Wynn Stewart.
Selections denoted (**) are with Bill Anderson.)
The One You Slip Around With Challenge 59059 01/11/1960
Wrong Company* Challenge 9071 05/30/1960
I Wish I Was A Single Girl Again Capitol 5035 11/16/1963
What Makes A Man Wander? Decca 31701 01/16/1965
I Know You're Married (But I Love You Still) ** Decca 31884 02/19/1966
Time Out** Decca 31884 03/12/1966
Evil On Your Mind Decca 31933 04/23/1966
Bad Seed Decca 32016 10/08/1966
Any Old Way You Do Decca 32096 03/11/1967
Roll Over And Play Dead Decca 32154 07/22/1967
For Loving You** Decca 32197 10/28/1967
Count Your Blessings, Woman Decca 32269 03/09/1968
I Still Believe In Love Decca 32357 08/10/1968
My Son Decca 32407 11/23/1968
When We Tried Decca 32447 03/08/1969
We Had All The Good Things Going Decca 32543 09/20/1969
If It's All The Same To You Decca 323511 11/15/1969
Rock Me Back to Little Rock Decca 32636 03/21/1970
Someday We'll Be Together** Decca 32689 06/20/1970
The Soul You Never Had Decca 32743 11/14/1970
Baby Without You Decca 32778 02/13/1971
Marriage Has Ruined More Good Love Affairs Decca 32778 02/13/1971
Dis-Satisfied** Decca 32877 10/09/1971
Love Is Like A Spinning Wheel Decca 32905 12/25/1971
Let Him Have It Decca 32955 05/06/1972
Too Many Ties That Bind MCA 40020 03/31/1973
Seein' Is Believin' GRT 010 11/09/1974
I'll Hold You In My Heart Con Brio 118 04/30/1977
Better Off Alone Con Brio 125 10/01/1977
To Love A Rolling Stone Con Brio 132 04/22/1978
