He was one of many famous descendants of mayflower passenger richard warren. I just wrote about my life as a country music entertainer and what has happened to me over the years. Jean spent most of her formative years in visalia, ca, near bakersfield. Jim vaughn tells news outlets that arriving officers found shepard s husband, 79 year old benny birchfield, wounded and bloody outside the home. Down through the years 9780944391068 by jean shepard and a great.
Jean shepard, visalia senior high school grad, died sunday. See more ideas about country music, music and country songs. See more ideas about eh shepard, childrens book illustration and illustration. Shep, as he was known, settled in at wor radio new york city, new york on an overnight slot in 1956, where he delighted his fans by telling stories, reading poetry especially the works of robert w. Jean shepard obituary hendersonville, tn the gazette. With a career that spanned decades, shepherd is known for the film a christmas story 1983, which he narrated and coscripted, based on his own semiautobiographical stories.
Jean shepard as america was pulling out of the great depression, the fifth of ten children was born to hoit adrian and allie mae isaac shepard. Some of those stories served as the basis for the holiday film a christmas story. In the seventies, he took his talents to television in a series of humorous narratives for pbs call jean shepherds america later continued on the pbs new jersey network as shepherds pie. The 18year old granddaughter of singer jean shepard was stabbed to death by her boyfriend. Don knotts daughter said she had to leave his deathbed to. In a charted singles career that spanned twentysix years, oklahoman ollie imogene jean shepard married to hawkshaw hawkins at the time of his death in that infamous march 5, 1963 plane crash that also took the lives of patsy cline and cowboy copas, racked up 45 top 100 country hits, 31 of which made the top 40, including two duets with. My wife also a jean shepard fan from her teenage years and i have been married 22 years.
All others pay cash is a novel by american humorist jean shepherd first published in october 1966 a bestseller at the time of its publication, it is considered shepherds most important published work. In many of sheps broadcasts the name of long john nebel is dropped. Jean shepards autobiography, down through the years took about 15 years to write. Shepard fairey is american street artist and graphic designer best known for his barack obama hope poster.
Sometimes she performs with her son hawkshaw hawkins, jr. Jean shepard biography, age, husband, children, net worth. Today marks 15 years since matthew shepard was attacked. Schools western band club on a photo published on the 1951 year book. She told billboard that she approached the book in her tell it like it is.
The attacks took place at the elnora court home of benny birchfield, the 79yearold husband of shepard, who died at 82 in september. Shepard, who died in september 2016, was a pioneer for women in country music. Country music hall of fame member jean shepards autobiography, down through the years took about 15 years to write. The jean shepherd show town hall kazoo, old time radio. After kitty wells 1952 breakthrough, shepard quickly followed, and a.
Country star jean shepards granddaughter murdered and her. Because music was such an important part of her life. List of dead country music singers greatest country. Its difficult to believe that 15 years have passed since matthew shepard, a 21year old college student, was brutally beaten and left dead on the outskirts of laramie, wyoming. Country music hall of fame member jean shepard s autobiography, down through the years took about 15 years to write. She was one of ten children that helped on the family farm. Ollie imogene jean shepard birchfield, age 82 of hendersonville passed away early sunday morning. Country music hall of fame member jean shepard is in a reflective mood these. Who wrote two little boys for jean shepard answers. Hawkshaws widow, jean shepard, eventually remarried and continues to perform, mostly at the grand old opry, although at 78 years old she is not as active as once was the case. Don knotts, the actor who played deputy barney fife in the the andy griffith show, was lying in his death bed, while his daughter, karen had to immediately rush out in order to laugh. From the entry of 2,674 dogs, the heavy coated black and tan, who will be 8 years old in may, gained signal honors not only for his owners, shirlee braunstein of north woodmere, l. Born in oklahoma, the singer became a regular at the grand ole opry for more than 60 years, recording a diverse array of honky tonk hits sure to make you smile.
Jean shepherd did, in his inimitable way, and life is will please those who can appreciate the thought and the inherent humor therein. She started playing as a teenager and signed with capitol in 1952. However, the stories were never collected in one book until a christmas story was released in 2003. Jean was one of 10 children born into the shepard family. Shepards 79year old widower then shot dead her attacker at the tennessee home. Shepard recorded a duet with country singer ray pillow titled ill take the. Now, as odd as it may seen, karen has given a good enough explanation about her action. Down through the years by jean shepard 2014, hardcover for. Down through the years paperback daniel boone regional. My wife even had the nerve to get herself invited into the broadcast booth in princeton while they. Not being able to live without her, he died the next year. He had a younger sister, pauline, who was known as polly. A mention here, a file there, dates and bits of dates, a list of known surviving. Harold franklin hawkins december 22, 1921 march 5, 1963, better known as hawkshaw hawkins, was an american country music singer popular from the 1950s into the early 1960s known for his rich, smooth vocals and music drawn from blues, boogie and honky tonk.
July 26, 1921 october 16, 1999 was an american storyteller, radio and tv personality, writer and actor who was often. A christmas story book by jean shepherd thriftbooks. Cline gave birth to her son in late january, and although the pregnancy had been hard on her, financial difficulties forced her to hit the tour circuit again by april. Jean shepard hendersonville funeral homehendersonville. Her1953 duet with ferlin husky, a dear john letter, along with second fiddle to an old guitar, and the real thing are just a few of her wonderful hits. In 1953 she had her first hit with a dear john letter, a duet with ferlin husky. In the book, jean shepherd tells the sometimes heartbreaking and dark, but tongueincheek, laughoutloud stories of growing up in a northern. I wouldnt take a million dollars for my friendships with any of these people. Also saw him for many years at richardson auditorium at princeton u. She recorded a total of 24 studio albums between 195681, and became a member of the grand ole opry in 1955.
They remained married for 20 years until her death in 1998. We finally finished it and i am so happy, she said. Ollie imogene jean shepard november 21, 1933 september 25, 2016 was an american. Jean shepards autobiography, down through the years, is now in book stores and offers details of her personal and professional life in what she describes as the golden age of country music. The most famous of the last involved creating a hoax about a nonexistent book, i. Patsy cline wrote a will on airline stationary 2 years. This is a wellwritten book by a female pioneer in the american country music genre. Jean shepard reflects on her life down through the years. The contents of the will, which was never legally filed, can be found in douglas gomerys book patsy cline. Jean shepards husband stabbed, granddaughter dead in. For years people told jean shepard she should write a book. Im tired of playing second fiddle to an old guitar, swore grand ole opry star jean shepard on second fiddle to an old guitar, a top 10 single in 1964. She was born november 21, 1933, in pauls valley, oklahoma.
Jean shepard born ollie imogene shepard was an american honky tonk singersongwriter. Jean love god,her family and friends and she loved her fans. In the early 1950s, country music was still a largely. Ollie imogene shepard was born november 21, 1933, in the town of pauls valley, oklahoma. I learned of jean shepherd from my mom a big fan, and for my 8th grade graduation1967, she took me and 2 friends to the limelight to see him live. At the age of 16, she eloped with charles mcgrew, a young bond broker. At the time of her death, she was the longestrunning living member of the grand ole opry. Read from the book, published in 1983 i knew the movie, which we have all seen ad nauseum every christmas, was based on a book, but id never read it. Ollie imogene jean shepard november 21, 1933 september 25, 2016 was an american honky tonk singersongwriter who pioneered for women in country music. After a stint on television see below, he returned to radio. Shepard, a country music hall of fame member and member of grand old opry for more than 60 years, got her start in the 1950s and emerged as a pioneer for women in country music. Harlean was an amalgam of her mothers maiden name, jean harlow, which the actress later took as her stage name. Shepard fairey biography childhood, life achievements. Shepard gained top ten hits into the 1970s, and for many years she held the.
Jean was also a sportscaster doing baseball broadcasts for the toledo mudhens and armed forces radio. I just wrote about my life as a country music entertainer. Capitol records issued twentyone albums on jean shepard from 1956 to 1975 one of these was a duet album with ray pillow plus there were some budget reissues released on the hilltop. She was born on november 21, 1933 in pauls valley, oklahoma. Country star jean shepard s granddaughter, 18, and her boyfriend are found dead at the home of the singers 79 year old widower the granddaughter of country great jean shepard was murdered. Travis sanders, 21, who murdered icie sloan hawkins, 18, last week before being killed himself, boasted to her cousin that he had killed previously. Jean shepards widower benny birchfield wont be charged. Shepard released a total of 73 singles to the hot country songs chart, one of which reached the no. Jean shepherd shared many a humorous account about his childhood during the great depression. We celebrate the legacy of country music through by spotlighting the great and co. Jean shepard obituary hendersonville, tn the tennessean. Country road tv is your one stop, all things country music youtube channel. At 6 ft 5 inches tall, he had an imposing stage presence, and he dressed more conservatively than some other male country singers.
Hall of famer jean shepard remembered nova books nashville. July 26, 1921 october 16, 1999 was an american storyteller, humorist, radio and tv personality, writer and actor. As he ended his radio career 15 years after theyd begun their affair two years after her book was published, he made an honest woman out of her. When she was just eleven years old her family moved to visalia, california, about 100 miles north of. When jean shepard burst onto the country music scene in 1952, she had few female role models to follow. I have met this awesome lady several times over the years and i can say that, not only s jean shepard a country music legend but also, jean was one awesome, lady with a lot of humor, love, and one of the kindest people i have ever met. The attacks took place at the elnora court home of benny birchfield, the 79year old husband of shepard, who died at 82 in september. Down through the years by jean shepard 2014, hardcover. The eight shows in this collection include performances pondering forbidden magazines, playing tuba in the school band, his old mans love of oldsmobiles, chaufferdriven ferraris, home in hammond, the. Travis sanders who murdered jean shepards granddaughter. Down through years by jean shepard hardcover brand new. An interview with jean shepard at the grand ole opry, november 20, 1998.
Whenever i mention female country music trailblazer jean shepard, most people, even classic country music fans, dont seem to know who im talking aboutwho she was, who she is. I have only ever heard bits and pieces of nebels shows so with a night to spare i. The book came fast and was in greatbrand new condition. Iave been working on it for at least fifteen years. Our first date was a jean shepard concert in princeton, and we went to several more over the years. The christmas story by jean shepard narrated by dick cavett is a 2004 rh audio publication.
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