Gene Watson's Peers: Norma Jean
Gene Watson's peers within the country music industry
believe in the sheer talent of this unassuming man from east Texas, so much
so that Gene is regarded by many of them as 'the singer's singer' - and
rightly so!
All of Gene's Peers who were contacted in 2006 were most gracious with their
time & words. It is here, within this special part of gene-watson.com, that
you have an opportunity to read a quote from
Pretty Miss Norma Jean,
which she submitted to this site on Friday 30 June 2006.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say 'thank you' to
Pretty Miss Norma Jean who has made a special contribution to a unique part of this
online 'celebration of a Lone Star Hero'.
Pretty Miss Norma Jean
This quote was submitted on Friday 30 June 2006
'Gene Watson is one of the finest artists we've ever
had in the music business, and such a credit to us all!'
Thank you, Pretty Miss Norma
Jean, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Pretty Miss Norma Jean...
Pretty Miss Norma Jean was
born (Norma Jean Beasler) into a hard-working farm family near Wellston,
Oklahoma on 30 January 1938. As a child, she wanted to be a country star like Kitty Wells &
made her professional debut singing 'If teardrops were pennies' at the age
of 12 on the radio in Oklahoma City. While in high school, she toured with a
few Western swing bands, including those of Billy Gray & Merle Lindsay.
Norma Jean's big break came in 1958 when she became a cast member of the
Springfield, Missouri-based ABC-TV show 'Ozark Jubilee', where Red Foley
(RIP) suggested shortening her name to 'Norma Jean'. She recorded briefly
for Columbia Records & then moved to Nashville in 1960, where she became a
backup vocalist for Porter Wagoner's touring & television shows.
Norma Jean's new level of exposure led to Chet Atkins signing her to a
recording contract with RCA Victor, where she achieved her first chart
single; 'Let's go all
the way'. The song peaked at No.11 on the Billboard country music
singles charts in 1963.
An
album of the same name was produced & the album spawned two more Top 40
hits, starting with 'I'm a walking advertisement (for the blues)', which
was followed
by 'Put your arm around her'. Because of the singles' success, Norma
Jean was
invited to join the Grand Ole Opry.
In late 1965, she released an album; 'Pretty Miss Norma Jean' was the most successful
album of her career, reaching No.3 on the 'Top
Country Albums' list. The first single from the album, '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',
which was written by Harlan Howard, was another Top 10 hit, making Norma one
of the most popular female country singers of the era.
From 1965 to 1967, Norma Jean produced a series of solid country singles &
albums. She continued to be very successful on
Porter Wagoner's show;
on television, she projected a wholesome image, singing hurting & cheating
songs which were relevant to her personal life.
Norma Jean's biggest hit came in 1966 & was an unusual recording with Bobby
Bare & Liz Anderson; 'The game of triangles' was a wife-husband-other
woman drama that hit No.5 on the Billboard country music singles chart & earned the trio a
Grammy nomination.
Norma Jean's seven year association with Porter Wagoner ended in 1967, when
she was replaced by Dolly Parton. She continued to appear on the Grand Ole
Opry (between 1965 & 1969) and recorded more singles for RCA. In 1967, she
enjoyed two Top 30 hits, 'Don't let that doorknob hit you' & 'Heaven help
the working girl'. Norma Jean left RCA Records & returned to Oklahoma in the late 1960s;
she had her last
chart hit in 1971 with 'The kind of needin' I need'.
Norma Jean inched back into the
country music industry in the 1980s with a few recordings & 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. In 2005, she released 'The Loneliest Star in
Texas', her first album of new music in fifteen years. This album contained a biographical song
about her; 'Pretty Miss Norma Jean' was written by singer & performer
Debbie Horton & recorded by rockabilly queen
Wanda Jackson.
Norma Jean's accomplishments include performing at New York's Carnegie
Hall & Madison Square Garden.
Visit Pretty Miss Norma Jean's
Official Site