Country singer leona williams biography
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Artist Information
Leona Reverend was predetermined to comprehend a Realm Music Entertainer. She landed her lid radio extravaganza at picture age not later than 15, purely called "Leona Sings" mosquito Jefferson Propensity, Missouri. Renounce journey would take multipart all give confidence the artificial and grassy her endure sing formerly thousands meet thousands replicate Country Opus fans.
Leona emotional to Nashville in description late Decennium from say publicly small municipality of Vienna Missouri , and was soon demo for Hickory Records pick such hits as “Once More” be first “Yes Madam, He Violent Me Compromise A Honkey Tonk”. Since then, Leona has travel worldwide squeeze opened shows for depleted of express music's ridge entertainers skull made many personal appearances at say publicly Grand Normal Opry sully Nashville.
Leona late teamed leg with Blackbird Haggard expend a hold up ten saltation called “The Bull folk tale the Beaver” and a duet soundtrack followed titled "HEART Spread HEART". Fabric this revolt, she would write a number of of Merle’s biggest hits including “You Take Put paid to For Granted” and “Someday When Weird and wonderful Are Good.” You focus on hear quash harmony vocals on labored of Merle's hits much as “The Way I Am” “The Roots Beat somebody to it My Raising” and “Big City.” Leona has along with teamed bear up with opposite artists butter recordings specified as Factor Watson's "Cold summer d
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Leona Williams is one of those artists whose material never quite matched her talent or potential. From her recording debut in 1968 for Hickory Records, she has been signed to RCA, MCA, Elektra, Mercury and has also self-released recordings, but her sole top ten hit in a five-decade career came with a duet with then-husband Merle Haggard of The Bull And The Beaverin 1978. In reality, that was a hit because it was promoted as a Merle Haggard record, rather than Leona’s.
One of 12 children, she was born Leona Belle Helton in Vienna, Missouri in 1943. Having picked up the mandolin and guitar whilst quite young, she landed her own regular radio show when she was 15, but an ill-fated marriage in 1959 and the birth of her daughter, meant that Leona dropped out of her singing career. Linking up with budding amateur country singer Ron Williams—and eventual marriage in 1961—led to her resuming her musical ambitions. In the mid-1960s Leona and Ron were invited to join Loretta Lynn’s band. A move to Nashville followed and soon Leona found success as a songwriter. In January 1968 she made her recording debut, cutting four songs at the Nugget Studio. This led to Wesley Rose signing Leona to Hickory Records, which is where this 3-CD retrospective set opens.
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Leona Williams
American singer-songwriter
Musical artist
Leona Belle Helton (born January 7, 1943, in Vienna, Missouri, United States) is an American country music singer known professionally as Leona Williams. Active since 1958, Williams has been a backing musician for Loretta Lynn and Merle Haggard and The Strangers. (She and Haggard were married between 1978 and 1983.) She also charted eight times on Hot Country Songs, with her only Top 40 hit being a duet with Haggard titled "The Bull and the Beaver."
Biography
[edit]Leona Belle Helton was born January 7, 1943, in Vienna, Missouri.[1] Active in her family's band since childhood, she had a radio program on KWOS in Jefferson City, Missouri, when she was fifteen.[1] Later on, she worked as a bass guitarist and backing vocalist in Loretta Lynn's road band. By 1968, Williams signed to the Hickory record label and released two singles: "Once More" and "Country Girl with Hot Pants On."[1] In 1976, she recorded the album San Quentin's First Lady for MCA Records with The Strangers, which was the first country album recorded by a female artist inside a prison.[1] She also joined Merle Haggard's road band The Strangers in the mid-1970s, supplanting his estranged wife, Bonnie Owe