Jean Shepard

Jean Shepard
Shepard performing at a benefit event, June 2006.
Born	Ollie Imogene Shepard (1933-11-21)November 21, 1933 Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, U.S.
Died	September 25, 2016(2016-09-25) (aged 82)
Occupation	Singer
Years active	1952–2015
Works	Discography
Spouses	Freddie ​ ​ (m. 1951; ann. 1952)​ [a] Hawkshaw Hawkins ​ ​ (m. 1960; died 1963)​ Archie Summers ​ ​ (m. 1966; div. 1968)​ Benny Birchfield ​ (m. 1968)​
Children	3
Musical career
Genres	Country honky tonk
Instrument(s)	Vocals
Labels	Capitol United Artists Scorpion First Generation Round Robin Country Harvest Ernest Tubb Raney
Musical artist

Jean Shepard (born Ollie Imogene Shepard: November 21, 1933 – September 25, 2016^[2]) was an American honky-tonk singer-songwriter who is often acknowledged as a pioneer for women in country music. Shepard released a total of 73 singles to the Hot Country Songs chart, one of which reached the number-one spot. She recorded a total of 24 studio albums between 1956 and 1981, and became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1955.

After Kitty Wells's 1952 breakthrough, Shepard quickly followed, and a national television gig and the Opry helped make her a star when few female country singers had enduring success. Her first hit, "A Dear John Letter", a 1953 duet with Ferlin Husky, was the first post-World War II record by a woman country artist to sell more than a million copies.^[3]

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