Norma Jean (singer)
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| Norma Jean | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Norma Jean Beasler |
| Also known as | Pretty Miss Norma Jean |
| Born | January 30, 1938 |
| Origin | Wellston, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Genre(s) | Country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, Songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, Guitar |
| Years active | 1959 – Present |
| Label(s) | RCA Records Columbia Records |
| Associated acts | Porter Wagoner, Wanda Jackson, Dolly Parton, Liz Anderson, Bobby Bare, Kitty Wells |
| Website | Pretty Miss Norma Jean |
Norma Jean also known as Pretty Miss Norma Jean (b. Norma Jean Beasler January 30, 1938) is an American Country Music Singer. She is best-known for her spot on The Porter Wagoner Show from 1961 - 1967 before Dolly Parton replaced her.
Norma Jean, however, was a Country singer in her own right, having a handful of Country singles that hit the Top 10 and Top 20 between 1963 and 1966, including "Let's Go All the Way" and "The Game of Triangles". She proved instrumental and important in opening doors for other female Country singers.
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[edit] Biography & career
[edit] Early life & rise to fame
Norma Jean was born Norma Jean Beasler in 1938 in Wellston, Oklahoma. Early on, she befriended soon-to-be Country star, Wanda Jackson. She grew up admiring Country singer, Kitty Wells, and considers her the biggest influence on her musical career. Norma got her start performing on radio stations in the Oklahoma City area. By age 12, she had her own radio show on station, "KLPR". She toured around Oklahoma with various bands, starting with the "Oklahoma Night Riders" at age 16, followed by the "Bill Gray Band" at age 18. Norma was the Bill Gray Band's full-time vocalist, and made guest appearances with major Country stars at the time. She got a spot on the popular, Ozark Jubilee (with Red Foley) television show in the Midwest, where she stayed two years. Foley suggested calling her simply "Norma Jean", and the name stuck. She met Porter Wagoner on that show. Thanks to the show, Norma Jean signed a recording contract in 1959 with Columbia Records. A string of unsuccessful singles was released. Ozark Jubille was cancelled, and Norma Jean headed for Nashville, Tennessee (the Country music capital). Wagoner invited her to audition for his new weekly show which became The Porter Wagoner Show. She became a regular on the show in 1961, where she stayed for six years.[citation needed]
Norma Jean toured and performed across the country with Wagoner. She got her first national exposure as a Country singer on his show. As a result, legendary RCA producer, Chet Atkins signed her to a recording contract with RCA.
[edit] Success As a Solo Artist in the Early 60s
In 1963, Norma Jean released her first single with RCA titled, "Let's Go All the Way". The song peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Country charts. An album of the same name was produced, and the album spawned two more Top 40 hits, starting with, "I'm a Walking Advertisement (For the Blues)", followed by, "Put Your Arm Around Her". Because of the singles' success, Norma was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry.
In late 1965, she released an album titled, Pretty Miss Norma Jean, named after her nickname. This album was the most successful of her career, hitting No. 3 on the "Top Country Albums" list. The first single from the album, titled "Go Cat Go", became a Top 10 hit, peaking at No. 8. 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 Howard, was another Top 10 hit, making Norma one of the most popular female Country singers of the era. Fans recognized the humor implicit in some of her recordings.
From 1965 to 1967, Norma Jean produced a series of solid Country singles and albums. She continued to be very successful on Porter Wagoner's show. On television, she projected a wholesome image, singing hurting and cheating songs which were relevant to her personal life.
Norma's biggest hit came in 1966. It was an unusual recording with Bobby Bare and Liz Anderson titled "The Game of Triangles", a wife/husband/other woman drama that hit No. 5 in Billboard magazine and earned the trio a Grammy nomination.
[edit] Decline In Success in the Late 60s & Early 70s
Norma Jean left the show in 1967 after marrying Jody Taylor, and she was replaced by newcomer, Dolly Parton, who went on to become one of Country music's leading female stars. Parton said later that she had a hard time replacing Norma because she was so well-loved by Country fans.
In 1967, Norma Jean's single, "Heaven Help the Working Girl" (an early feminist song) was a Top 20 hit, and proved to be 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 No. 11 on the "Top Country Albums" list. Around this time, she married musician Jody Taylor (whom she later divorced) and moved back to her home state of Oklahoma. By the late 60s, her career was winding down. She charted her last record, "The Kind of Needin' I Need", in 1971 and soon left RCA records.
[edit] Later career & life today
In the later years of her life, Norma Jean struggled with an addiction to alcohol, then committed herself to Christianity.
She inched back into the music industry in the 1980s with a few recordings and some personal appearances. She made a minor chart appearance with Claude Gray with a remake of her 1963 hit, "Let's Go All the Way". In recent years, Norma Jean has been associated with Cowboy Church in Branson, Missouri. She released her first album of new music in 15 years in 2005, The Loneliest Star in Texas. This album contains a biographical song about her titled, "Pretty Miss Norma Jean", written by singer and performer Debbie Horton from Branson On The Road and recorded by rockabilly queen Wanda Jackson. Her accomplishments include performing at New York's Carnegie Hall and Madison Square Garden. Norma has not been a member of the Grand Ole Opry since moving back to Oklahoma in the late 60s. She is married to Al Martin. It should be noted that Norma Jean is not to be confused with Marilyn Monroe or the metal band that goes by the same name.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Charted 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 | Let's Go All the Way |
| 1964 | "Put Your Arm Around Her" | 25 | Let's Go All the Way |
| 1964 | "Go Cat Go" | 8 | Pretty Miss Norma Jean |
| 1965 | "I Cried All the Way to the Bank" | 21 | Pretty Miss Norma Jean |
| 1965 | "I Wouldn't Buy a Used Car From Him" | 8 | Pretty Miss Norma Jean |
| 1965 | "You're Drivin' Me Out of My Mind" | 41 | Please Don't Hurt Me |
| 1965 | "Then Go Home to Her" | 48 | Please Don't Hurt Me |
| 1966 | "Shirt" | 28 | Please Don't Hurt Me |
| 1966 | "Pursuing Happiness" | 28 | Please Don't Hurt Me |
| 1966 | "The Game of Triangles" (with Liz Anderson and Bobby Bare) | 5 | The Game of Triangles (with Liz Anderson and Bobby Bare) |
| 1966 | "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 |
| 1967 | "Jackson Ain't a Very Big Town" | 38 | Jackson Ain't a Very Big Town |
| 1968 | "Truck Drivin' Woman" | 53 | With Body and Mind |
| 1968 | "You Changed Everything About Me But My Name" | 35 | Love's a Woman's Job |
| 1968 | "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) |
[edit] Albums
| Year | Album | U.S. Country Albums Chart Peak |
| 1964 | The Porter Wagoner Show with Norma Jean | 13 |
| 1964 | Let's Go All the Way | - |
| 1965 | The Country's Favorite | - |
| 1966 | Pretty Miss Norma Jean | 3 |
| 1966 | Please Don't Hurt Me | 8 |
| 1966 | Norma Jean Sings a Tribute to Kitty Wells | 23 |
| 1967 | The Game of Triangles (with Bobby Bare and Liz Anderson) | 18 |
| 1967 | Norma Jean Sings Porter Wagoner | 19 |
| 1967 | Jackson Ain't A Very Big Town | 11 |
| 1968 | Heaven's Just A Prayer Away | 44 |
| 1968 | Body and Mind | 37 |
| 1968 | Heaven Help the Working Girl | - |
| 1969 | Love's a Woman's Job | 39 |
| 1969 | Country Giants | 36 |
| 1969 | The Best of Norma Jean (reissues) | 28 |
| 1970 | Another Man Loved Me Last Night | - |
| 1970 | It's Time for Norma Jean | 45 |
| 1971 | Norma Jean | 57 |
| 1971 | Thanks To You For Lovin' Me | - |
| 1972 | Norma Jean Sings Hank Cochran | - |
| 1972 | I Guess That Comes From Being Poor | - |
| 1973 | The Only Way To Hold Your Man | - |
| 1973 | It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels (reissues) | - |
| 1983 | Pretty Miss Norma Jean | - |
| 1988 | My Best to You (reissues) | - |
| 1990 | One Day at a Time | - |
| 1990 | 20 Country Classics (reissues) | - |
| 1996 | First Ladies of Country (half tracks by Norma Jean, half by Melba Montgomery (reissues) | - |
| 1999 | The Best of Norma Jean (reissues) | - |
| 2005 | The Loneliest Star in Texas | - |
