Country music singer and songwriter Jan Howard died March 28 just two weeks after turning 91 in Gallatin, Tennessee as a result of natural causes. The Grand Ole Opry reports that Howard died in her sleep.
She was a member of the Grand Ole Opry for 50 years. While she had hits of her own, Howard saw success as a singing partner with Bill Anderson. She also wrote a number of songs for other artists including Kitty Wells and Connie Smith.
She is a member of the Missouri Country Music and North American Country Music Association International (NACMAI) Halls of Fame. Billboard named her the Most Promising Female Country singer in 1960.
Lulu Grace Johnson was born March 13, 1932 on a farm in West Plains, Missouri, the eighth of eleven children. Married and divorced four times, her first marriage came when she was just 15 years old. She became the mother of three before she was 20.
After her second divorce, Jan moved to Los Angeles where she met Harlan Howard who heard her singing while washing dishes. Howard talked her into singing a demo and a career was born.
Predeceased by two of her sons – one died in Vietnam – Howard is survived by her surviving son, two grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.
Jan Howard discography:
“Jan Howard”
“Sweet and Sentimental”
“Evil on Your Mind”
“Bad Seed”
“This is Jan Howard Country”
“Lonely Country”
“Count Your Blessings Woman”
“The Real Me”
“For Loving You”
“For God and Country”
“Rock Me Back to Little Rock”
“If it’s All the Same to You”
“Bill and Jan (or Jan and Bill)”
“Love is Like a Spinning Wheel”
“Singing His Praise”
“Sincerely”
“Stars of the Grand Ole Opry”
“Tainted Love”
“Through the Years”
Feature photo credit:By ChrisTofu11961 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=88729953