Jean Shepard, born Ollie Imogene Shepard on November 21, 1933, in
Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, was an American country singer and songwriter. Growing up in a musical family, she began performing locally in the 1950s and joined the group The Melody Ranch Girls. Her breakthrough came with the 1953 single "A Dear John Letter" and "Forgive Me, John", which reached the Top 10 on the country charts. Shepard signed with Capitol Records and released Songs of a Love Affair in 1956, followed by Lonesome Love (1958) and Got You on My Mind (1961). She collaborated with Ferlin Husky on "Second Fiddle (To an Old Guitar)" and performed extensively on the Grand Ole Opry stage. After moving to Capitol and later to other labels, she released Lighthearted and Blue (1964) and Many Happy Hangovers (1966). Shepard’s career included tours across the United States and collaborations with Ray Pillow and Roy Drusky. She died on September 25, 2016, in Gallatin, Tennessee, after complications from Parkinson’s disease and heart disease. In 2011 she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
