70's Country Music Queens

Lynn is the daughter of country singer and song writer, Liz Anderson. When Lynn was a teenager, she entered a talent contest and was spotted by the folks who produced "The Lawrence Welk Show" and in 1967, Lynn became a regular on the show. She signed a recording contract about the same time with Chart Records and had minor success. In the 70's, she would sign with Columbia Records and release what is considered her signature song, "Rose Garden". Most consider Lynn a "one hit wonder", but the truth is she had several number one songs to her credit such as "You're My Man", "How Can I Unlove You", "Keep Me In Mind", "What a Man, My Man Is".

Born Miriam Johnson, Jessi took her stage name from her great great uncle who was a member of the James Gang. Jessi's career in music began at age 11 when she was the pianist at her mother's church. When she was a teenager, she worked as a backup singer for Duane Eddy and in 1962 they married.

In the early 60's Jessi recorded an album that was produced by her hubby, Duane, and the legendary Lee Hazelwood (who is usually always associated with Nancy Sinatra). The album didn't fare well, but about that time she met singer Waylon Jennings. In 1965, she and Duane divorced and Jessi moved to Nashville where she signed with RCA Records. She recorded a critically acclaimed album "A Country Star Is Born" in 1966. Jessi also gained a reputation for being an excellent song writer and many top stars wanted her songs. In 1968, she and Waylon became an item and in 1969, they made it official and married.

In 1974, Jessi's singing career took off in a big way with the release of her smash single, "I'm Not Lisa" which was a hit on the country and the pop charts. In 1976, she would record an album with hubby, Waylon and singers Willie Nelson, and Tompall Glaser called "Wanted-The Outlaws". The album was a huge success and Jessi continued to record and have success into the 90's.

Helen established herself as a successful songwriter in the 1960's, but it is her work with singer Jim Ed Brown that is probably her best remembered venture in the music business. She worked with Jim on this television show "Nashville on the Road from 1976-1980. As a duet partnership, the couple had hits in the 70's, starting with "I Don't Want To Have To Marry You", "Saying Hello, Saying I Love You, Saying Goodbye", If The World Ran Out of Love Tonight", "Lying In Love With You", "Fools" and their final duet hit in 1980, "Morning Comes Too Early"

Barbara's career started in 1965 and by the end of that decade she had a few minor hits to her credit. But in 1973, a DJ in Georgia played "The Teddy Bear Song", off of her "A Sweeter Love" album, and the listening audience loved it, the station was flooded with requests for this ear catching tune. Columbia Records, realizing they had a hit on their hands, quickly released it as a single and before long it had reached the number one spot on the country charts. Several more hits followed like, "Kid Stuff", and "Baby Doll".

Barbara left Columbia records in the late 1970's and even ventured out of the music business entirely, working for a while as a waitress. Her final chart appearance was in 1986, and she now records gospel music for small, independent labels.

Donna came on the scene in 1972 after she signed with Dot Records and wrote and recorded one of her biggest hits, "The Happiest Girl In The Whole USA" which 23 weeks on the country charts. For the next seven years, Donna would chart with hits like, "Funny Face", "Superman", "You Can't Be A Beacon".

In 1978, Donna was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and it derailed her career.

Today, Donna lives a quiet life with her hubby in Tennessee, and still performs on occasion

In 1970, Loretta Lynn's little sister released a single on Decca Records, "I've Cried The Blue Right Out Of My Eyes" and had her first hit song. She would move to United Artists Records and there she began her string of hit singles starting with "Wrong Road Again", "Somebody Loves You", and "I'll Get Over You", but it was in 1977 when she had her biggest hit single ever, "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue". The song was a country and pop success and earned her a Grammy for Best Female Country Performance. Three more number one songs would follow "Ready For The times To Get Better, "Talking In Your Sleep" and Why Have You Left The One You Left Me For".

Encouraged by her husband Doolittle, to pursue a singing career, Loretta had her first single, "Honky Tonk Girl" in 1959. With the success of her first record behind her, she moved to Nashville and was signed to Sure Fire Publishing by the Wilburn Brothers who were impressed with Loretta's song writing talents. She also became a regular on their show. Loretta would meet Patsy Cline, who would take her under her wing and help her get her career established.

Having a string of hits in the 60's meant that Loretta was on her way to super stardom in the 70's with solo hits like, "Coal Miner's Daughter", "One's On The Way", "The Pill", You're Looking at Country". A duet partnership with the late Conway Twitty gained Loretta another five number one songs with "After The Fire Is Gone", "Lead Me On", "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man", "As Soon As I Hang Up the Phone" and "Feelins".

Anne Murray is one artist who found it easy to land hits on both the pop and country charts. Born in Canada, her first hit, "Snowbird" reached the Top Ten on the pop charts. Her first Number One on the country music charts was "He Thinks I Still Care in 1974. The flip side of this single was Anne's take on the Beatles song "You Wont See Me" and it made it to the Top Ten on the pop charts!

In 1978, Anne's career took off like a rocket, with "You Needed Me" and soon she was putting songs to the top of the country charts with seeming ease with hits like "I'll Just Fall In Love Again", "Shadows in the Moonlight", "Broken Hearted Me" and "Could I Have This Dance".

One of my favorite Anne Murray albums was the 1978 "Let's Keep It That Way".

Olivia's background in music was mostly pop and folk, so when her record label, MCA, decided to market her easy going style of music as country, she wasn't certain what to make of it. But, starting in 1973 and lasting until about 1978, Olivia managed to hit the country charts with songs like, "Let Me Be There", "If You Love Me Let Me Know", "I Honestly Love You", "Have You Never Been Mellow", "Please Mr. Please".

In 1974, the Country Music Association awarded Olivia the "Best Female Vocalist" and this didn't sit well with the more older established country stars like George Jones and Dolly Parton who became members of a new organization called "Association of Country Music Entertainers" which was designed to fight of the influx of pop music into country. This group didn't last long probably because it was founded mostly on what many called "sour grapes", the anger that an "outsider" like Olivia could actually win a country music award.

As the 70's wore on, Olivia left behind her sweet easy country sounding music for more pop and dance oriented sound and she even went on to become a movie star in the musical's "Grease" and "Xanadu".

Dolly's rise to super star status began on the Porter Wagoner Show in 1967 and as a duo they had a string of hits that went into the 70's. Dolly also recorded solo ventures and had hits with songs like "The Bargain Store", "Coat of Many Colors" "Jolene", "and Joshua" .

In 1977, she had a huge success with her song "Here You Come Again" and many complained that Dolly had give up her country roots that were so evident in her earlier recordings for a more pop oriented sound. She continued to have hit songs with "Heartbreaker", "Two Doors Down", "I Really Got The Feeling", "Baby, I'm Burning", "You're The Only One" and more.

Dolly remains a popular entertainer recording and performing and having sold over 150 million records the world over.

Jeanne was a successful song writer working for Marty Robbins Enterprises in the 1960's. It was a demo tape of her songs created to interest other singers in her work that garnered Jeannie a recording contract with Decca Records in 1973. Her first Number One song soon followed, in "Satin Sheets", which also placed on the pop charts. Jeannie continued to have hit songs throughout the 70's and 80's.

"Help Me Make It Through the Night was Sammi Smith's biggest hit and it earned her the undeserved reputation of being a "one hit wonder". In fact, Sammi went on to place over 15 more songs on the country charts having hits such as "Today I Started Loving You Again" and "Then You Walk In", "Loving Arms", and "I've Got To Have You" as just s sampling.

Sammi also was a successful song writer, writing material for her friend, Waylon Jennings (Cedartown Georgia) (whom she toured with in the early part of her career) and Conway Twitty (Sand Covered Angels).

Sadly, Sammi died in her sleep February 12, 2005, which was, ironically, the third year anniversary of her friend, Waylon Jennings passing.

Billie had her first top five hit with "Mr. Walker, It's All Over" in 1969. In 1975, she recorded one of her biggest hits and a Number One, called "Blanket on the Ground". Some called it a rather risque song for a female singer to be performing because of the lyrics that mentioned "slipping around"...even though the singer was wanting to slip around with her own husband. Billie continued recording into the 80's, but didn't match the success of her songs from the 70's.

Tanya started in the music business at age 13, when she recorded a Number 6 hit, "Delta Dawn". She continue to record and have hits with songs that some felt were much to adult in their theme, songs like "Blood Red and Going Down", "What's Your Mother's Name" "Would You Lay with Me (In a Field of Stone)", and "The Man That Turned My Mama On".

In 1978, she decided to try to change her image from a country singer to rock, with an album titled "TNT". The albums cover and inside photos caused a stir, but in spite of what might be considered negative reaction to the album, it went gold and produced two hits, "Texas When I Die" and "I'm The Singer, You're The Song".

Tanya did cause quite a stir when the photo on the inside sleeve of her TNT album was revealed. Looking sexily over her shoulder in skin tight red pants with a halter top, folks were not use to seeing their country stars look so...naughty. By today's standards, this pose is tame, I didn't care, though (personally, I loved it!) I was more interested in the music than the photos. This is one of my favorite Tanya Tucker albums. "I'm the Singer, You're the Song", "Not Fade Away", "The River and the Wind" are my favorites.

Dottie's recording career began in 1959 but it wasn't until 1964 that she had her first hit single with "Here Comes My Baby". She then took on duet partner Jim Reeves and had a Top Ten hit with "Love Is No Excuse". More duets were sure to follow except that Jim was killed in a plane crash on July 31, 1964.

In 1970, Dottie wrote a jingle for Coca Cola based on her hit song, "Country Sunshine". The company was so impressed with the success of the song and advertising campaign that they offered Dottie a life time contract as a jingle writer for their product.

Dottie had more hit songs in the 70's with "Last Time I Saw Him", "House of Love", Lay Back Lover". In 1977, while recording "Every Time Two Fools Collide" a surprise visitor to the recording studio in the guise of Kenny Rogers garnered her a new duet partner. The song went to Number One on the country charts and the duo would record more hits like "Anyone Who Isn't Me Tonight", "All I Ever Need Is You", "Till I Can Make It On My Own", "

Sadly, Dottie died September 4, 1991 from injuries sustained in a car accident several days earlier.

Tammy's 70's music career spawned many hit singles such as "He Loves Me All the Way", "Good Loving Makes It Right", "Bed Time Story", "Kids Say The Darndest Things", "Till I Can Make It On My Own" and many more. But, toward the latter part of the 70's her hit making power seemed to be slowing. She moved into the 80's still making trips up the chart, but not as far or as often.

Sadly, Tammy died April 6, 1998 while asleep on her couch, she was only 55 years old.