Born Ollie Imogene Shepard in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, on November 21, 1933, she was raised in Visalia, California. She played in an all-female band called the Melody Ranch Girls as a teenager. This band was formed in 1948. Between 1956 and 1981, she recorded 24 studio albums.

One of the 73 singles that she released to the Hot Country Songs chart had reached the number-one spot. With the help of a national television gig and the Opry, she enjoyed enduring success and stardom. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2011.

1950s

A few years later, Hank Thompson discovered Shepard and helped her sign a contract with Capitol Records in 1952. In the same year, she recorded Crying Steel Guitar Waltz, which was her first single for the label. Although it failed to chart, she finally got a breakthrough with A Dear John Letter.

This duet with Ferlin Husky made it to number four on the Billboard pop chart. It also became a great crossover hit after striking a chord with the audiences. She recorded Songs of a Love Affair, her first studio album, after joining Ozark Jubilee in 1955. After a streak of hit singles, she got an invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry. The only other female stars who were a part of the Opry were Minnie Pearl and Kitty Wells.

1960s

Shepard married her fellow Opry star Hawkshaw Hawkins in 1960. Unfortunately, he died in a plane crash three years later. Just a month after the crash, Shepard gave birth to Hawkshaw Jr., their son. She later married country music singer and musician, Benny Birchfield. In 1964, she returned to the country music scene with Second Fiddle (To an Old Guitar).

She had two more big hits with A Tear Dropped By and Someone’s Gotta Cry. Both the songs were included in the 1967 LP Heart, We Did All That We Could. She had only one major hit in 1968, but the release of her albums continued. Shepard got a top-10 hit with the release of Then He Touched Me in 1969.

1970s

Shepard entered the 1970s with three hits, which included Another Lonely Night. She recorded her first single Slippin’ Away in 1973 for United Artists Records. Written by Bill Anderson, this song proved to be her biggest solo hit since the 1950s. It reached to the fourth position on the Billboard country chart.

Her streak of hits continued throughout the 1970s. The most significant among them were the three top-20 hits. They included At the Time and I’ll Do Anything it Takes (to Stay with You). In 1977 and 1978, she produced minor hits on the Billboard country chart, recording for the smaller label, GRT. Her last major hit under this label was The Real Thing, which was recorded in 1978.

She had also served as the president of the Association of Country Entertainers in the 1970s. This organization was formed in response to Olivia Newton-John being named the CMA Female Vocalist of the Year in 1974. The association was formed mainly by purists who intended to keep country music away from pop influences.

Later years

Shepard continued performing at the Grand Ole Opry and touring in the US and the UK. She celebrated 50 years as an Opry member in 2005. In 2011, she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. She became the first woman to remain the Grand Ole Opry’s member for 60 consecutive years on November 21, 2015. The following year, she died of Parkinson’s disease. Shepard was 82 years of age at the time of her death.

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She was also one of the first women in the country music genre to front her own tours. This helped pave the way for other women country artists, such as Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn. She was also the longest serving female member of the Grand Ole Opry. Many of her country songs were chartbusters. Here we’ve listed some of the immensely successful ones:

1. A Dear John Letter

Jean Shepard had sung this crossover country-pop song with Ferlin Husky. This popular song was written by Fuzzy Owen, Billy Barton, and Lewis Talley. It had references of the involvement of the United States in the Korean War. The song narrates the tale of a young woman whose boyfriend is serving in the Korean War.

In the song, she writes to him saying that she is breaking off their relationship. What’s more heartbreaking is that she is marrying his brother, Don, and wants her photograph back. Released in 1953, this song was a huge success and topped the Billboard’s country charts.

2. I Thought Of You

This song had made it to the Billboard Most Played Country and Western in Juke Boxes chart in 1955. The popular song sung by Shepard was composed by Jimmy Rollins, a musician and record producer from Dallas. He copyrighted the song in 1955 and had it renewed in 1983.

The song was released on the B-side of Shepard’s single, Beautiful Lies. Connie Smith, a famous country music singer, recorded this song on her album Cute ‘n’ Country in 1965.

3. Many Happy Hangovers To You

This single was originally recorded by Shepard and released in January, 1966. It was written by Johnny MacRae, who was nicknamed ‘Dog’. He has been credited with 235 songs, which were released by many recording artists. Besides writing songs, MacRae had also fronted a rockabilly band.

Many Happy Hangovers to You had reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles after its release. This song is considered by many country music fans as one of the best singles of Jean Shepard.

4. If Teardrops Were Silver

This is a 1966 hit country music single by Shepard. It was released as a part of the album Heart, We Did All We Could. Upon its release, this song had reached the 10th position on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.

5. Then He Touched Me

Released in December, 1969, Then He Touched Me was the first single for the album A Woman’s Hand. Upon its release, the song reached the 8th position on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. It had also made it to the Canadian RPM Country Singles chart on the 27th position.

6. Slippin’ Away

In 1973, Slippin’ Away had reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. It was Shepard’s first single after signing with United Artists. Written by singer and songwriter Bill Anderson, it is a mid-tempoed song in the country music sub-genre, Bakersfield. The song was the biggest hit of Shepard since her 1964 hit, Second Fiddle (To An Old Guitar)’.

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