Singer and former Miss Oklahoma Anita Bryant died December 16, 2025 in her Edmond, Oklahoma home at the age of 84. No official cause of death was given.
While she had a few hits including “Till There Was You”, “Paper Roses”, and “My Little Corner of the World”; Bryant is far better known as the official spokesperson for the Florida Citrus Commission promoting the sale of orange juice, touting, “a day without orange juice is like a day without sunshine”. A three time Grammy Award nominee, she accolades came as the result of Christian music recordings.
She joined Bob Hope’s USO tours entertaining military personnel stationed overseas during the holidays in the 1960’s and has performed at the White House.
But as the calendar turned to a new decade, Bryant took up a campaign against homosexuality and laws prohibiting discrimination against sexual orientation. She referred to homosexuality as a” deviant lifestyle” and members of the community as “human garbage”.
While she managed to win some laws supporting her “agenda”, in the end she lost the war when people boycotted against her and the products she hawked. In the end, her career and marriage failed and she ended up filing for bankruptcy.
Bryant returned to her native Oklahoma where she started her own Christian organization – Anita Bryan Ministries International.
She was born Anita Jane Bryant on March 25, 1940 in Barnsdall, Oklahoma where she began singing at age six and by age 12 was hosting her own television show.
The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation presented her with the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 1986 and the Oklahoma City Freedoms Foundation Chapter presented her with the Oklahoma City Freedom Foundation gave her a merit citation for her years of service to the troops. Bryant is a member of the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Leadership Gol Medallion, the USO Silver Medallion Award, the Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge Freedom Leadership Medal, the Al Jolson Gold Medal Award and Citation, and the Florida Citrus Commission Orange Cluster Award.
Predeceased by her second husband astronaut Charles Hobson Dry; Bryant is survived by her four children, two stepchildren, and seven grandchildren.
Anita Bryant discography:
“The Anita Bryant Christmas Album”
“Kisses Sweeter than Wine”
“Abiding Love”
“In a Velvet Mood”
“The ABC Stories of Jesus”
“As Long as He Needs Me”
“The Country’s Best”
“The World of Lonely People”
“I Believe”
“Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory”
“Christmas with Anita Bryant: Do You Hear…”
“How Great Thou Art”
“In Remembrance of You”
“Anita Bryant…Naturally”
“In My Little Corner of the World”